Drawn Out Decisions
by Sour Queen
Summary: Sasuke Uchiha is about to begin his ascension rites to Chancellor of the vampire bund and solidify his pact to the Haruno family by marrying Sakura. Until one day he spies a blond leaving work late one night and becomes immediately possessed by the strange scent Naruto gives off. Vampires aren't supposed to let humans into their world, but there's something about Naruto... SasuNaru
1. The Mortal

Drawn Out Decisions

Chapter One: The Immortal

beta: strawberries and napkins

….

 _In a dark field, a young girl sat alone, crouched, with her head between her hands. She sobbed openly, loud and strong, that the birds had hushed their singing, and the babble of the crook was quiet. Sasuke was taking a walk by himself when he heard the sad screams and cries. He walked through the bushels and trees aimlessly, until he found the girl, just sitting there in her own tears. He watched quietly, he couldn't see her face, but the soft pink of her hair was proof enough that this girl was probably a fine beauty. A Haruno. He approached her slowly._

" _Beautiful girl, why are you crying?" He whispered softly enough so that she could see him before she heard him, and she lifted her head up and gazed back at him with the most beautiful emerald eyes he had ever seen._

 _She sniffled. "Ino-chan told me that because I was ugly, when I grow up, no one will marry me and I'll die by myself. I'll be all alone!" The tears began flooding back to her eyes. He knelt beside her on the dead grass, sighing._

" _Now why would she tell such a pretty girl like you that you were ugly? She must only be jealous." He reasoned._

" _Nuh-uh. She already had a boyfriend, and she said that when they grow up they'd get married. No one would marry me."_

 _He looked at her, both amused and saddened for her. She truly was a beautiful girl, with gorgeous pink hair, and dazzling green eyes, Sasuke found himself drawn to her._

 _He sighed. "How do you know no one will marry you?"_

" _B-Because no one wants_ me _to be their girlfriend…"_

 _He stood up, and shook his pants of the grass stuck to it. "Very well then, young_ _maiden_ _, I want you to be my girlfriend."_

 _She stared up at him, as if he were crazy. "But you don't know me, and I don't know you…what if you_ _mislike_ _me?"_

 _He outstretched his hand for her to take. "You're a beautiful young girl who seems very sweet and very kind. How could I not like you?" He smiled gently at her._

 _She still seemed wary, watching his hand closely as if it were going to bite, but then she wiped her eyes of tears and accepted it, as he pulled her to stand._

" _Let me take you home now, alright?" He looked at her. She nodded softly, and sniffled,_ _wiping her facial tears on_ _his leg._

 _They walked in silence together, hand in hand before she spoke up again. "_ _Do you really_ _to be my boyfriend?"_

" _Yes."_

" _And you promise we'll be together …forever? No, for always?"_

" _Yes, I do."_

" _And then when we're older, you'll marry me too?"_

 _He hesitated, looking at the delicate, fragile girl before him. She was already upse_ _t as it was, what could he do?_ _There was no turning back. "Yes, I will marry you. You will be my future wife."_

 _She smiled. "My name is Haruno Sakura."_

" _Uchiha Sasuke."_

* * *

"Sasuke?"

"…"

"Sasuke-kun? Sasuke?"

"Hn? What?" His eyes snapped back open to his reality with an amused pinkette staring down at him at his desk with arms folded over her chest.

"Thinking again?"

He ran a hand through his bangs and gave her a loose smile. "Yes, I'm starting to do that more often now, thinking, I mean."

She nodded and took a chair to sit, bringing it up close. "What were you thinking about, then?"

He grabbed her small, thimble hands; blue veins were visible, yet her hands were still gorgeous. On her right hand, sat a fairly large diamond, set on a white gold band. It shined in the dim sunlight brilliantly. "I was thinking…about how we met."

She furrowed her brow in thought for a moment. "Ah, yes I remember. You promised to marry me when I was only a child, because I asked you. It seems as though it was only a thousand years ago.." she grinned at him as he looked at the engagement ring.

"Yes, but I kept my promise, did I not?"

"You most certainly did. But now I wonder if you're doing this because you really love me, or because of a duty.." She pouted.

Sasuke sighed, and wrapped his hands around the back of her neck, pulling her in for a deep kiss. When he released her, he smirked a tiny bit. "You talk too much."

Sakura blinked a few times and ran her tongue over her tender lips. "I think…I would've much preferred you to say it."

He sighed again. "I'm marrying you Sakura because I am in love with you and plan to spend my eternity with you."

She then smiled, and the two intertwined fingers in mutual graces for a long moment until Sakura finally sighed and released his hands, standing up out of her chair and gracefully moved over to the window with the curtains drawn back. Sasuke's eyes followed her, amazed at the way she moved, quietly and swiftly, in only her satin black robe. She had truly grown and matured since he met her.

She spoke slowly. "It took me years to grow immunity to light, Sasuke-kun. You know, I've always loved the sun."

He shook his head. "You're not supposed to enjoy the sun. What kind of vampire likes sun?" he chuckled.

"Maybe I'm just not a good vampire."

"You're talking as though you would rather be a mortal."

She clicked her teeth. "There you go again, always talking about mortals like they're the worst creatures in the world. Life would be better for everyone if maybe vampires and humans could actually _get along._ "

Sasuke rolled his eyes. She was always like this, talking like an idyllic human would. Humans, particularly how short their life spans were; she loved about them, they had always amazed Sakura. Sasuke didn't. If they ever fought, it would be about this.

Although in all honesty, Sasuke didn't have much against humans. He didn't like them, but he didn't like them either. They were food. Sasuke used to be like Sakura though, thinking that humans would be eager to accept them as easily as Sasuke could. It's all a fairytale though, a human will always be afraid of vampires, true vampires, no matter how glamorizing they like to make it in movies, books, and TV.

A human would never accept a vampire. And a vampire should never accept a human. Not as an equal, at least. That's just how it's always been.

"You know how much I love it when you talk like an innocent vampiress." He said sarcastically and leaned back in his chair, smirking at his fiancé's angry pout.

She leaned against the windowpane and frowned. "You need someone like me around or else once you're in power you'll probably demand the extinction of all humans everywhere."

He frowned jokingly. "No, I wouldn't do that. I'd just demand that every drop of life must be drained of them for our consumption."

"That's the same thing."

"No it's not."

She glared at him and then snorted haughtily. "Look at me, putting ideas into a _young chancellor's_ head."

He stood and up and brushed his pants off. "Soon to be chancellor, if you haven't forgotten about my important ascension rituals."

"Ah yes, how could I forget? The reason you think now. How did it go again? 'Uchiha Sasuke, born heir to the throne and future chancellor to all vampire kingdoms.'" She said mockingly and spread out her hands as if she were reading a sign.

He sighed, "Can't you take these politics seriously? They'll be of importance to you soon one day as well."

"I still don't know what it is exactly you do." She pointed out.

He ran a hair through spiky bangs. Sometimes, Sakura proved not to be the sharpest knife in the drawer. But he couldn't exactly blame her, this whole 'heir to the throne' thing was sudden, now that his father had mysteriously deceased, and the whole balance of the vampire world could be thrown into chaos had his brother not been sworn into his "royal throne" as young as he was. That left the position of Chancellor; the one Itachi had left behind.

"While the King's job is to run the palace and keep peace between the different kingdoms, such as peace and government duties, it is the chancellor's job to run the law and court areas of the kingdom. Such as _managing rules between vampires and humans."_ He looked at her pointedly. She smiled sheepishly.

"So then, what are the chancellor's _wife's_ duties?"

"Wait in bed like a good wife until I come home to relieve me of my day's stress."

She pouted. "That's not very funny."

"I wasn't joking."

"Sasuke!" He put up his hands in defense, clearly amused at her blushing yet angry expression.

"Alright, relax. You are more irritating than normal when mad."

"...Jeez," she rolled her eyes and turned her back to him, facing the now setting sun in all its delicious orange beauty. She stood there in silence, totally absorbed until she heard the familiar creaking sound of Sasuke's chair. She turned back around.

"You're leaving?"

"Yes, I haven't…eaten today. The easiest ones are the ones arriving home from work."

"But," she smiled, exposing her twin top-set of fangs, "your meal is right here."

He shook his head, putting on his cloak that lain on the back of his chair. "We tried that remember? I got too greedy; I don't want that to happen again."

She sighed and walked over to him, placing her hands on his cheeks, she pressed her lips against his in a chaste kiss. "Be safe?"

He smiled and placed his hands over hers. "I always am."

* * *

It was late, the sun had already deeply set into the night, and the first few stars were beginning to unravel their beauty in the cloak of the night. The wind chill had picked up, and was finally seeping into Sasuke's bones. Winter nights with nothing to eat did nothing to ease Sasuke of his hunger. Sasuke had miscalculated, it has taken him too long to find an appropriate victim, and before he knew it, all the traveling home workers had already crawled back to their shelters.

Sometimes Sasuke was too picky for his own good.

"Next time I'm taking Sakura up on that offer, and I'm getting more than just a meal." He sighed to himself and wrapped the cloak closer to him, blending back into the shadows of the dark.

* * *

Naruto punched his timecard into the slot, the tiny click ringing like music to his ears; his shift was finally over. And good thing too, because if he had to reorganize another can stack of tomatoes, he'd blow his brains out. He ripped off his Wal-Mart tag and vest, throwing it his satchel bag before bidding his colleagues goodnight.

' _Almost out the door…'_

"Naruto! Get your lazy ass back here!"

' _Fuck! Sooo close…'_ Naruto sighed and turned around, putting on his best smile to his irritatingly perverted boss, Jiraiya.

"I'm off my shift, Jiraiya." He sang sweetly while tapping his foot impatiently. Jiraiya glared at him.

"Don't sass me boy," he shook a finger at him. "And anyway, I just wanted to let you know that you don't have to come in tomorrow, Karin's taking a double-shift to make up for her time off, running off for that idiot boyfriend of hers," he sighed loudly.

Naruto laughed. "You're just jealous you don't get laid everyday like she does."

He shrugged at him. "Tsunade's mad at me again." Naruto made a small 'ah' sound, and patted his larger boss on the shoulder.

"She's always mad. Try violets. She loves violets." He saluted him, smiling brightly, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a tiny yet comfortable home to get too."

Jiraiya nodded, watching his blonde employee walk through the automatic sliding doors. "Hey, be careful brat, all things that go bump in the night are roaming around at this time!"

"Yeah, yeah." Naruto waved him off.

* * *

It was getting later and later. The only thing Sasuke would be able to find at this time would be a drifter or a graveyard-shift migrant worker. Ick, they had _terrible_ tasting blood. He sighed and continued moving swiftly through the dark alley, searching for some wandering soul. He was beginning to lose hope, it was getting too cold, and who would walk in alley way this late and cold at night?

' _This idiot, that's who.'_ Sasuke smirked to himself when he heard the familiar stepping of feet shuffle in his direction. He'd be running right into his death. In the shadows, Sasuke cloaked his figure and sounds, making himself as invisible as possible so the victim wouldn't notice. Although he didn't have any plans on killing whoever it was, he did intend to get his fill.

In the dim of the moonlight, Sasuke made out his prey. A young, blond man, with a strong build and a shapely face. His eyes were a sparkling blue, rivaling the intensity as Sakura's. He shook his head. _'Dinner time.'_

In an instant, Sasuke had tackled his prey, knocking him against the wall hard enough to keep the boy breathless. He grabbed him tightly by the neck, whispering in his ear in a chilling voice.

"Now, what do you think you're doing out here so late at night? Didn't anyone tell you to stay out of dark alleys?"

The boy started gasping air through his strangled throat, struggling against Sasuke's grip. "Please…whoever you are, take my money, but just don't hurt me."

Sasuke chuckled. "I assure you, I don't want your money."

Naruto choked back his rising tears. "Who are you? What are you going to do to me!? Please!" He whimpered as Sasuke grazed his lips against his prey's skin, darting his tongue out in places to lick the salty skin.

"Mm…"

"Please…" Naruto whispered.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and slammed the blond's head back into the wall again, watching blue eyes fill with dizzying pain. "Be quiet. This will only take a minute." He opened his mouth, revealing the pearly white fangs to Naruto, who gasped and started screaming and shouting harder than ever.

"A vampire! No, please, don't! Vampires are scary! Vampires are scary!"

 _Murderous beasts, all of them...kill all of them..._

"W-Who? What?" Sasuke dropped his victim and clutched his head in pain to the memories that suddenly surged back to his brain that he couldn't fully remember. His mind was cluttered with thoughts but his heart was still pounding, anxious at the thought of taking precious blood from that blond…

"Wait!" He snapped his head up and found the blond who dropped his bag and immediately started running down the alley as fast as he could. Cursing, Sasuke picked up his bag and caught up to the blond quickly due to his vampire speed.

He cut off the blond from running by stopping in front of him, taking his time to look over the disheveled, and bulging blue eyes of the man in front of him. He frowned and held out the bag to him. "This is yours, is it not?"

The blond was panting heavily. He stared at Sasuke, and then the bag. Quickly, he snatched it out of his hands and began backing up slowly. "Don't approach me anymore."

"I'll do no such thing," Sasuke nodded softly, highly amused by the scared boy. "Sorry to have frightened you, I'm very impulsive."

"Yeah well," the boy pointed an angry finger at him. "You just keep that filthy mouth away from me, _vampire._ "

Sasuke raised an eyebrow; there was so much hate in his tone. "What would you know of vampires?"

He stopped moving, and looked between Sasuke and the exit behind him. "You…are a vampire correct?"

"Yes."

"And you were planning on killing me, right?"

Sasuke shook his head, tiredly. "No. If I were planning on killing you I would've aimed for your chest, where your heart is for one. If a vampire isn't aiming for the chest at least, he doesn't have it in his mind to kill you."

"I'll keep that in mind." Naruto snorted sarcastically, and then shouted when Sasuke took more steps forward. "Hey! I thought I told you to back the fuck up!"

"This is the only way out of this alley. I promise I won't hurt you. I'm not barbaric; you can take my word for it."

Naruto gulped loudly and nodded slowly. "Just…please, don't hurt me."

Sasuke nodded once again, but Naruto didn't start moving.

"What is it now? I need to go, I'm very hungry."

"You're going to do this shit to someone _else?_ " Naruto shouted at him.

He shrugged. "That's the plan."

"No. No way man, I'll call the cops on you."

Sasuke chuckled darkly at the blond. So scared and yet pretending to be brave. It was admirable, and mildly cute at the same time. "I don't even see a phone on you. But if you called the cops I'd kill you."

"What?!"

"Just joking."

Naruto glared. "Vampires don't joke."

"Well, not most of them. I'm just one of many vampires."

Naruto shifted uncomfortably as Sasuke took a few more steps closer to him. The space between them was dwindling, but Naruto didn't feel as if his life was in danger anymore, so he didn't immediately move away. "There are more than just you?"

"Quite."

Naruto blinked a few times in confusion. _'What the hell is going on here? Who is this guy?'_ Naruto had never seen a man quite like him, dressed darkly, contrasting terribly with his porcelain-like skin, with black hair and the most interesting onyx eyes. The dark vampire's cloak was a little cliché however, Naruto would admit.

So fascinated by the vampire's looks, he hadn't even noticed Sasuke had already quickly closed the gap between them and had already started walking past Naruto until he came to.

"H-Hey, where do you think your going?" He shouted and tripped over his feet to catch up with the fast moving raven.

"To find food. I told you that."

"Please, don't do what you almost did to me to anyone else. I won't be able to live with it," he muttered sadly to himself, but Sasuke had heard it anyway. He stopped in his tracks and placed a hand on his temple, rubbing it in an irritating manner.

"Look," he said pointing at the boy, "I have somewhere to be and I need to find food or I really will kill the next person I see. Now, either we part here, or give me your blood so I can⎯"

"Alright."

"Huh?" Sasuke said, looking at the blonde in confusion. "You didn't want me to touch you a few minutes ago, and now you're offering?"

"I'd rather you finish what you started than hurt someone else," he sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, hesitant to meet the vampire's curious gaze. When he did, he flushed immediately under the blank stare.

"Well, are you going to or not?"

"Hn, yes." He approached the blonde swiftly and shoved him back against the cold stone wall. Sasuke placed his lips over the blonde's taut skin, feeling him shiver under his touch. He licked his lips and leant in, teeth grazing over his skin and⎯

"Wait." The blonde gulped, his voice cracked. Sasuke leant back, and saw the tears pooling in the boy's eyes. He blinked.

"Before you…uh, eat me, can you tell me your name?"

Sasuke smiled and leant back in, whispering ever so softly in the boy's ear. "...My name is Uchiha Sasuke."

"Uzumaki Naruto." The boy whispered back before he whimpered when Sasuke sank his elongated fangs into his skin, and began drinking until Naruto's vision became blurry.

"Please…" he whimpered softly, the dirty streetlights were dimming in his vision.

"Make sure…I don't die…alone, you bastard…"

* * *

Okay so what do you guys think? I've always loved a vampire OC of my favorite two shinobi FYI. Please review! It really encourages me to keep going. Thanks guys!

~Queen


	2. The Immortal

Drawn-Out Decisions

Chapter Two: The Immortal II

Beta: strawberries and napkins

….

 _In the dim light of the study room, Sasuke sat at the old wooden desk, with stacks of books spread out in front of him, and under a desk light he read to himself. Sakura had seated herself on the old loveseat beside him, playing with the numerous touchable objects around the room. She had been staying alongside Sasuke for about only about a year and a half since they had agreed to marry, and although Sakura couldn't say that she's fallen in love with the Uchiha, she always wanted to be around him. It didn't matter yet anyway, she still hadn't grown up yet and there was plenty of time._

 _But even now, with reading glasses adorned on his face and clad in the white cotton shirt of a nobleman, she didn't know much about him. For a_ _"_ _young_ _"_ _man, he always looked so much older. She had been playing with his stapler when he started talking to her, not bothering to look up from his textbook as he spoke. "Sakura, you're quiet. Is it because you're not eating again?_ _"_

" _Saku-chan."_

 _Sasuke dropped his pen and rested his head on the table, exasperated. "Excuse me?"_

" _I want you to call me Saku-chan. I already call you Sasu-chan, so call me Saku-chan!"_

" _That's because you choose to. I don't personally enjoy the nickname. And on that matter, I'm not truly Japanese, so why should I use honorifics?"_

 _Sakura paused and pressed a finger to her tiny chin. "Hmmm…because we're Japanese immortals, aren't we? So shouldn't we act like Japanese do?"_

 _Sasuke swiveled around in his chair to stare at her, reading glasses hanging by the bridge of his nose. He snorted. "Immortals and mortals are incredibly different_ _being_ _; don't mix the two like that. And on that matter, why do you seem so intent on adapting to human graces?" He_ _looked at her_ _patiently._

 _She didn't reply right away, staring down_ _at her smallish feet as she clutched the hem of her torn dress. If she had looked into his eyes, she would feel bad for lying. But then again, Sasuke always knew if she was lying eventually, and maybe it would be better if she were just upfront about it anyway. If there was anyone who would accept her for whom she is, it would be Sasuke._

" _I just…" she sighed and looked up, "I think humans are kinda cool, okay? But don't tell anyone!"_

 _Sasuke chuckled and he rubbed his forehead. "And is this the reason you refuse to feed off a human and choose me instead?"_

 _She bounced up out her seat and nodded, jumping erratically. "Yes it is! Also because Sasu-chan tastes very good!" Her smile grew when he flushed softly. Then she hopped over to him and_ _hopp_ _ed her tiny body into his lap. Some part of Sasuke wanted to remind her that the study for a new type of blood tablet for the immortal race was nearly successful, but there was double meaning to why Sakura chose to feed from him. So for now, he wouldn't mention it._

 _He grumbled to himself about bouncy children but nonetheless wrapped his arms around her tiny frame and rested his head into her back. Sakura smiled to herself._

" _Sasu-chan, you'll always be with me forever, right?"_ _she whispered softly._

" _I'm not going anywhere,_ Sakura _."_

* * *

"Man, you're out of your mind." Kiba snickered as he stacked perishables on top of each other in Aisle 8 with his best friend Naruto. They had both taken the double-shift to hang with each other because now that Kiba was getting a new job across town, they'd be seeing less of each other. Even if Naruto was going to protest it, it would be futile because people go where the money is, and the money was definitely not in this superstore.

Naruto scanned a can of peas and stacked it against the shelf. "I'm telling you the truth, Kiba. I was walking back home at night, and this…this asshole shows up and seriously tries to kill me!"

"And he's a 'vampire', right?" Kiba chuckled dryly and shook his head, placing a sticker on a bent can before placing that too on the shelf. The lights above them flickered for a moment.

"Yeah. Freaky, right?"

Kiba sighed. "Naruto, you know that normally I don't like to interfere with your hilarious and completely retarded schemes, but here I draw the line." He slammed a can down and whirled on Naruto, shoving a finger in his face.

"There is _no such thing_ as vampires."

"But, but, I saw one! I swear! His name is Sasuke!" Naruto failed hopelessly as Kiba sighed and ignored him, returning to his own task now with a scanner in hand.

"Why would a 'vampire' tell you his name?"

"I don't know, I guess because I told him mine?" Kiba stopped his price checking and lowered the scanner; Naruto suddenly became very aware of the lack of witnesses in the aisle.

Kiba spoke darkly. "You told him your name? Some psycho who tried to kill you?"

"Heheheh…when you say it like that..."

There was a silence. Kiba's brain throbbed. How could his friend be so dumb as to tell some random blood-sucking creep his name? What if something happens to the blond? Then there would be no one to take his shifts if that happened.

Kiba sighed and pointed the price-checker gun at Naruto's forehead. "Look. If you really think he is who he says he is, and trust me when I say I doubt it, you'll want answers, right?"

"Right." Naruto blinked a few times. Then Kiba gave the blond a hard look, waiting for any signs of weakness. There were none.

"Then you go see Gaara."

Naruto stared at Kiba, waiting for the punch line, but it didn't look like one was coming so he scratched his head sheepishly.

"Um…who's Gaara?"

Kiba resisted the urge to punch the blonde. This would take awhile. Good thing his shift wasn't over until eleven-thirty tonight.

* * *

"Sasuke." Sakura growled and threw her bottom atop on the raven's desk, scrambling his books and papers around. She wriggled her butt on his desk and pinched his face. "I'm not leaving until you tell me where you were last night!"

Sasuke sighed and rubbed his forehead in exasperation. "Sakura, you're giving me a headache. Move."

"No."

"If I don't get this done, we'll be thrown out of our home and stripped of all titles." Sasuke said blankly, staring up at her defiant emerald eyes with bored obsidian ones.

"I don't care."

"I won't be able to provide for you."

"I will be fine."

"And there'll be no more jewelry."

"Wha-? Oh, fine." Reluctantly, Sakura inched her way off his desk, taking most of his papers with her. They scattered on the floor in a heap, and while Sakura mumbled an apology, they both leaned down and began picking them up together.

Finally, Sakura groaned. "Will you just tell me where you were yesterday? It took you much longer than usual."

Sasuke sat up again and smoothed out some of the papers against his the flat top of the desk, and then straightened his reading glasses. Sometimes Sakura thought that if were to Sasuke wear his glasses more often, he'd could actually pass for a normal human. She patted the top of his head softly and entangled her fingers between his soft locks of hair. She smiled softly.

"I was hungry, so I went out and ate. Satisfied?" Sasuke sounded aggravated, but truthfully, nothing calmed him down better than someone stroking his scalp. A silly tick, actually, but only Sakura could really call it that.

She frowned. "The tablets were here if you hit excess."'

"The tablets weren't adequate enough for my particular thirst yesterday."

She snatched her hand away and huffed angrily, marching over to the bed and threw herself on it, gathering her limbs together like a tight fetus. Her voice was cold. "You are a nobleman. What would happen to your position if someone found out you still drank human blood?"

Sasuke shrugged and picked up the rest of the papers Sakura had forgotten. He placed them all in a neat pile on his desk and cringed. It was truly a tall pile of papers. "Nothing will happen because you will not say anything…unless you wish to end up a penniless beggar."

Sakura snorted. Sometimes Sasuke is just too pompous for his own good. She let up for a minute, rolled around on the giant bed while Sasuke worked until she got bored again.

"Did you bite a human?" The question was followed by an eerie silence.

She could hear Sasuke's patience crack and mentally giggled to herself. Sakura wasn't purposefully trying to mess with Sasuke but she was curious and watching him work all day was a bit boring. So she repeated her question again, and he grunted in response.

She paused. "Did they die? Was it a boy or a girl?"

"It was indeed a male and no, of course not. I am not savage." Sasuke answered curtly with a bit more irritation in his tone that made Sakura flinch. He chose to pointedly ignore her look and scribbled more gibberish down on the same piece of paper.

She played with her locks of hair. "What was his name? Was he cute? How old was he?"

There wasn't an immediate response. "I believe he said his name was Uzumaki Naruto, and the rest are absurd questions." He slammed his pen down sharply and spun around in his seat to glare at Sakura who only eeped in fear of his wrath.

"Is there anything else you need to know, dear?"

Sakura looked to her left, and then her right. Unfortunately, there was no one here to watch if he ate her out of boredom or merely frustration. Not that anyone would care though, either. "Can I be friends with him?"

Sasuke said nothing and turned back around, resuming his work like they hadn't been talking at all. She huffed and sat up resting her hands on her hips, pouting. "You did not have to ignore me!" she said angrily as she watched Sasuke's shoulders shake gently with the strokes of his pen.

He didn't turn around. "I do not see how you can befriend a human. Firstly, it is in opposition to the rules and secondly, I doubt I will ever see the boy again."

Sakura humphed. "Well, if I am keeping it a secret you're going out to drink real human blood, you can make an exception for me and find out more about him."

"You want me to _learn_ about this human boy? This is another ridiculous request of yours, and I have work to be done. Silence yourself, Sakura."

Sasuke tried to mentally close the door on her; she was being too immature to deal with and, unlike her, the stacks of papers were annoying him silently.

She made a face at him. "I know you'll go find him again. So when you do, ask him if he wants to be my friend."

Sasuke couldn't help but smirk to himself. He admired Sakura's assertiveness, even when she knew that what she was asking for was extremely dangerous. But even thinking about that strange human, his own curiosity grew. Perhaps breaking a few rules in the name of his fiance would bring him some enjoyment.

"Fine. And if he doesn't wish to befriend you?" He didn't have to turn around to know she was rolling her eyes at him.

"Don't worry, he will want too. You just make sure you find him, kay, Sasu-chan?"

He bristled at that nickname but smirked nonetheless. She gave him a wicked idea. "I will find him tonight."

Sakura nodded smiled to herself and cuddled up with Sasuke's pillow, inhaling the cinnamon and spice scent. "Sasuke?"

"Yes Sakura?"

"I love you."

Sasuke's smirk fell. "…I love you too Sakura."

* * *

Before the clock struck 11 pm that night, Naruto was convinced that he had discovered something magical. People like Naruto don't believe in things of the unnatural, no, people like him work the late shift dealing with tired and usually buzzed customers who either want to hit on him or mug him for his money. Naruto was not a person who believed in things that were supernatural. That was the kind of life Naruto led, and he didn't mind.

Kiba was in the middle of telling him Gaara's backstory, and bit-by-bit, things were beginning to add up. Although a skeptic, or at this point possibly a former skeptic, Naruto could feel his curiosity getting the better of him, and he wanted answers. Even if those answers led him back to the self proclaimed "vampire". Hell, Naruto isn't sure what exactly a vampire was, for all he knew, it could've really been a psycho playing tricks on him. Then he touched his neck, and the stinging sensation from the wound was still there.

Kiba explained to him him that Gaara worked in the Home and Garden section of the superstore, where only older people visited to buy garden tools, or men came to pick up bags of charcoal by the door. He stayed in the greenhouse and spoke to noone. It was a secretive and secluded place and Kiba mentioned that Gaara's personality was pretty much like that, and that in all honesty he was pretty weird. Naruto didn't mind; he liked weird people.

Soon after, Naruto found himself wandering the greenhouse. "Hello? Anyone in here?"

The greenhouse attachment was huge, and dark and damp with heavy air. The star-filled sky seemed like it was suspended right above. It was pretty breathtaking. Naruto wiped the sweat from his forehead, not sure whether it was because it was so humid in the room or because he was so nervous—and a bit excited.

Naruto was walking down the small pathways, admiring all the small trees and succulents and spontaneous dashes of color that the flowers gave to the shelves. It was desolate and devoid of any sound; it didn't seem like anyone was around.

He opened his mouth to call again, but something dark moved the corner of his eye, and he turned around. "Is someone there?"

Naruto rounded the bend, and saw a boy, propped on one knee watering an exotic looking flower. Even in the dark Naruto could clearly see the boy's bright hair, which was as red as flames. The tattoo on his forehead only seemed to make him look insane. Naruto sucked in an air of breath. "Gaara?"

The boy turned his head to look at Naruto blankly with extremely bright aqua-green eyes outlined by…mascara? He set the pail down beside him and stood, brushing his clothes off and glared. If Naruto could say it, Gaara was still rather pretty in all of his ambiguity.

"Can I help you?"

Naruto gulped. He had to remind himself that Gaara wasn't that different from him, that they were both wearing the same ugly blue vests, working at the same store for the same minimum wages. Gaara wasn't anyone different. He closed the distance between them in few steps.

Naruto held out his hand. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto, I stay in the Food sections. I stack cans for a living."

Gaara ignored the hand. "So I hear."

There was something like a slight smile behind his bored stare. It was enough for Naruto to consider it a successful icebreaker.

"I actually came because…I had a few questions, about something kinda strange, and I heard you might be able to help me…" Naruto trailed off, suddenly feeling self-aware of what he was really about to ask. He gulped loudly again.

"Who sent you?" Gaara spat.

"Uh-Kiba. Kiba did. If you know him." Naruto fiddled with his fingers behind his back and grinned sheepishly. Gaara stared at him for a minute, taking in his appearance and then sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"He's a gossip. Worse than a housewife." He growled so suddenly that Naruto flinched at the tone, but noted that there was no true malice behind it.

"H-hey! Looks like we'll be good friends after all," Naruto joked with an uneasy smile. Gaara stared blankly again, and then something of a twisted smile flashed across his face.

He turned and picked up his pail, motioning for Naruto to follow behind him. "If you're listening to that dog bastard, at least hear the story told the right way."

The _real_ story was nothing like what Kiba had told him, and he was half-glad that he went and found out the whole story himself, but at the same time there were some things he shouldn't have been inquisitive about. Because Naruto knew himself, that he was digging himself in too deep. But he wouldn't stop with the questions now, they were pouring out of him like he had just discovered there was such a thing as vampires. But Gaara had discovered them first.

According to Kiba, Gaara discovered a vampire right outside the store, in the back while he was taking out the trash one night, and that he had cultivated a strange sort of relationship with him, (based on the blood Gaara was willing to give) until the vampire had left unexpectedly, and afterwards Gaara was never the same.

But Kiba was only half right; the real story took a few unexpected turns. He could call it informative, because of the way it was told, Gaara's face was good at hiding what he really thought about what he was saying, and kept Naruto guessing whether it had affected him at all. And it didn't take long for Naruto to realize that Gaara had fallen in love with his vampire friend.

The beginning of this story was sort of like what Kiba said. Gaara found the vampire outside of the superstore, while he was preparing to close down the greenhouse for the night. He was being beaten badly, but the attackers ran once Gaara came running to his side. The vampire was nearly dying, and Gaara left him in the greenhouse over the course of the night. By the next shift in the morning, the vampire was completely healed and watering the flowers and Gaara knew immediately that he was a vampire. No ordinary human would've survived.

"But you left him for a while, you probably showed up before anything really bad happened to him." Naruto had pointed out to the redhead. They were crammed together on the sliding steps to the outside door, where the the freshest air was. Naruto was able to get a better look at Gaara's face, he seemed tired, almost bored.

Gaara shook his head negatively. "Only things of the supernatural are able to regenerate quickly like that, he had bruises and open wounds everywhere, I didn't come in time. I only helped him to not die on the street."

Naruto was silent from then on, and let Gaara continue.

Apparently, the vampire didn't do anything to hide his identity when Gaara confronted him, and even asked if he could stay for a while, so Gaara agreed. His name was Hyuuga Neji, and he was a modern vampire of the Japanese Hyuuga Branch, which was in Japan. His clan has been suffering politically because it was a lesser branch than the main Hyuuga Branch, located somewhere in America. But despite Neji's issues, he was still polite and dedicated to helping Gaara keep the plants as healthy as can be.

"He said once that it made him feel good to give life to something when living hundreds of years have been stolen from his own life." Gaara said, softly. But when he spoke otherwise about some of his time with Neji, Naruto was able to pick up on the gentle tone Gaara used, and a few times even imagined that Gaara was a bit flushed.

In the end though, Neji made a break for political power, told Gaara that he was going to marry into another powerful vampire family and left. That was the last time he had saw him.

Although Naruto felt like important pieces of the story were left out, he didn't press it. The story was clear: vampires were very real, and Gaara had definitely been romantically involved with one.

"But how can I find him again? The first time was by mistake, but now I feel like I need to see him again, I need to be sure." Naruto whispered urgently.

Gaara looked down at his feet for a moment. "Vampires never return to the same spot over again, Naruto. Forget about it, they're nothing but trouble." His voice turned bitter and Naruto flinched at the harsh tone.

" _Never_ go looking for one." he finished resentfully. Naruto gulped and nodded.

But even as he left to finish his shift in the nearly empty store before anyone noticed, he knew he had told a lie, because he was going back to the same spot, he needed to find Sasuke. It was nagging at him too much now, but something else was nagging at Naruto too.

What _really_ happened between Gaara and Neji?

God, he was turning into a gossip like Kiba now.

* * *

This town was full of blondes that resembled the one Sasuke drank from the night before. Granted, it was easy to find the one he needed to find, but that wasn't the problem. The problem was that he wanted to take his time, to walk amongst humans even if for a short while. He didn't want to admit that he missed it, that it felt good to be surrounded by so much life.

Sasuke was mildly disappointed when he returned to the alleyway, and drank his fill of a lone drug dealer, the blood was thick and laced with all sorts of experimental drugs. Disgusting. It didn't matter though, the drugs had nothing to influence while in him. But when he dropped the corpse to the ground, he didn't expect his stomach to spike in revolt so quickly.

But his senses flared and he looked up. Ah, there _he_ was, surprisingly so. Same spiky blond hair, scared, wide blue eyes and the same dirty blue vest with his nametag written in ugly font. Sasuke looked from Naruto's face down to the corpse beside his own feet.

Naruto wanted to scream and cheer at the same time. Gaara was wrong, sometimes vampires do show up at the same place more than once, and perhaps this dark alleyway littered with dealers were one of Sasuke's hotspots. His feet were rooted to the ground though, and didn't make any sudden movements.

"Don't scream. I had no real intention of killing this man, and I can assure you that he is not dead." Sasuke reasoned as calmly as he could. From the side he began to push the body away with his foot.

Naruto shook his head in disbelief, eyes wide. "It is true, you really are a vampire." Sasuke quirked an eyebrow.

"You did not believe me the first time? I drank your blood and took you home, remember? You must be a real moron." The boy in question flinched at that and his eyes kept trailing down to the corpse. Naruto's face didn't change.

Sasuke took a few steps forward. "I have returned because there is something I must discuss with you, so it is best if you stop looking at him and look at _me_."

Naruto's hand pointed at the dead body and shook wildly. "H-how do I know you won't do that to me!?"

"You survived our last encounter, didn't you?" Sasuke moved closer to the blond. Naruto couldn't breathe normally while he looked into deep, emotionless black eyes that mirrored his own face. "I reassure you that I do not enjoy blood-biting a second time, and wish no harm upon you. I'm no savage."

Sasuke's voice ran so smoothly that Naruto only swallowed dryly and stand still as Sasuke lifted his hand and pressed it to Naruto's cheek. His skin was as cold as ice.

"W-what…are you doing?" Naruto mumbled and fought the urge to push the freezing hand away from his warm cheek. But Sasuke seemed too fascinated.

"I remember why I don't like humans," he mumbled to Naruto, eyes boring into his. He trailed off, leaving Naruto confused.

"Why...don't you like humans?"

Sasuke's eyes didn't leave Naruto, but something told Naruto that he wasn't speaking directly to him. "Maybe I'll tell you that story someday. But not now."

Sasuke dropped his hand back down to his side. "Besides that matter, do I frighten you still?"

Naruto shook his head negatively. There wasn't much more to prove, he knew his opinions were changing too quickly, but there was so much Naruto wanted to ask Sasuke that it was almost impossible not to be drawn to him.

"I-I…don't want to stay out here, maybe you could visit my home.." His mind flashed back to Gaara's story, and wondered how he felt in the face of a true vampire like him. Did he feel like Naruto? Scared to death and yet strangely excited?

Sasuke smirked. "What a foolish idea. Do you not know that when you invite a vampire into your home, he will always be allowed back there?"

"I don't care," Naruto braved. Sasuke chuckled and resisted the urge to compare his naiveness with Sakura's.

"No."

Naruto gaped. "Huh?"

The brunette resisted the urge to return a scathing comment, but his patience was thinning. "It is not my wish to enter your home for all eternity, and likewise,"

He sent Naruto a steamy glance that sent shivers running up the blonde's spine.

"You shouldn't be trusting of me, a vampire, so easily."

"Don't," Naruto snapped suddenly, now pointing a finger at him. "Don't underestimate me. I know who you are and I invited you anyway, didn't I? I did because I wanted to so don't treat me like an idiot!" He slapped a hand over his mouth immediately, regretting his choice of words but Sasuke only chuckled at him.

"Very well, if you wish to interact with me again, then I shall meet you at this city's main park. The name has escaped my memory."

"The Hunter Gardens?" He supplied helpfully, eyes drawing back to the corpse they were talking over and the midnight's cold winds caressing his free skin.

"The very one. Now I'm leaving. Goodbye, Naruto."

"R-right…"

"I hope you understand what you're involving yourself in," Sasuke whispered loudly enough for the blonde to hear who shivered again in response when Sasuke disappeared in a black cloud like something out of a horror movie.

He wondered just what he had gotten himself into too.

* * *

How do you guys like it so far? I love this alternate universe I'm creating. Just wait until I introduce you to the other characters, this story has a lot of love going into it! So please tell me what you think.


	3. The Successful

Drawn-Out Decisions

Chapter Three: The Successful

Beta: strawberries and napkins

…

 _Sakura and her best friend Ino sat_ _squished_ _th_ _emselves_ _together in a crowded bush in Ino's mother's garden, hiding out while their parents hosted their midnight parties. Although Sakura had already been_ _"_ _put to bed_ _"_ _, she couldn't help but be coaxed by her best friend to come out and watch what the adult vampire parties were like._

 _Their limbs were tangled together and Sakura was growing more uncomfortable by the minute from the sweat accumulating on her body and the grass blades poking her skin. Through the thick leaves, they could only see bits and pieces. She was able to spot her mother and father, making light conversation as good hosts would, occasionally sipping from their champagne_ _flutes_ _._

" _Look, everything looks so adult-like and glamorous," Ino marveled with sparkling eyes, pushing more leaves out of the way while she inched closer to her best friend._

" _I cannot wait to grow up._ _"_

" _Me neither." They smiled at each other and started giggling, struggling to keep their hiding place from shaking._

 _Ino suddenly gasped. "Oh, oh, look Sakura, the one with the long hair and pale eyes." She pointed to the tall and graceful man talking to Sakura's mother with a small smile on his face._

" _He is…beautiful…" Sakura sighed dreamily of the man's pale skin and thick chocolate-brown hair. Ino chuckled and sighed along with her._

" _Is not he just the perfect example of a high-class vampire? I will marry him someday, and we will do lots of_ _adult_ _things together," she exclaimed happily, laughing loudly at Sakura's blush._

 _Sakura rolled her eyes at her friend's blatant expression. "That is against the rules, Ino-chan," she pointed out, nose flaring when Ino waved a hand at her._

" _I do not care_ _about stupid rules_ _, he is beautiful and I want him to be mine. He will be my husband someday and eventually you will have to consummate it anyway right? We will get an early start."_

 _Sakura snorted._

" _You are just jealous!" Ino squeaked angrily, slapping Sakura's arm who winced in response. There wasn't any room to move away. The two girls were thoroughly_ _stuck_ _. There was no escape._

" _I am not jealous," Sakura ground out, glaring at her blonde friend. Sakura smirked and pointed outwards into the darkness. "That is the one I am marrying."_

 _Ino squinted. "The one talking to my dad? The tall dark one?" Sakura nodded from grinned widely._

" _That is Sasuke Uchiha, and he asked me to marry him."_

" _You liar!"_

" _I do not lie_ _! Mama says that's what_ _poor vampires do." She pouted and then she and her friend began giggling to themselves sudden_ _ly_ _again and then took turns admiring the lean, beautiful men that were Sasuke Uchiha and Neji Hyuuga and the western marriage ceremonies they would have someday. And_ _unbeknownst to them, they'd been spotted long ago by the same two men._

 _It was obvious that the two were there; when Sasuke's eyes glazed over at the shaking bush he tapped Neji's shoulder, nodding in their direction._

" _The girls are still up, I see," Sasuke mentioned softly,_ _and lazily raised his glass to his lips._ _. Neji's eyes followed the brunet's fluid motions, and then he reached his hand up to Sasuke's face, wiping the trail of alcohol that dribbled down from his lips. He smirked softly when the raven's face_ _flushed._ _._

" _Let them dream a while longer."_

* * *

"What am I doing? This was so dumb…"

Naruto sighed to himself and plopped himself down in a park bench, kicking at the pebbles around his feet. The sun was nearly setting, and since Sasuke had never assigned a time, he's been waiting here all _day_. Eventually he would have to leave for work, and then he'd listen to Kiba tell him what an idiot he was actually agreeing to meet up with an actual vampire for gods sake.

He scratched at his scalp angrily. "Why did I even show up? Of course he's not going to show up to meet me, he was probably trying to get rid of me anyway and⎯"

"Do you normally talk to yourself this often? You're a bigger idiot than I originally thought." The low sounding voice nearly shook Naruto out of his seat as he wildly searched for the source.

"Sasuke? Where are you?"

"Up here."

Naruto looked up and took in a sudden breath at the pale man perched atop the large branch of the tree above him. The ebony locks that framed his face moved gently with the wind along with his long black jacket and the laces of his high boots. For that second, it looked like there was some life dancing behind his eyes.

"Bastard." The blond grinned back at the smirking boy.

"Hello, Naruto. I figured I made you wait long enough. You look happy to see me."

Naruto blushed and immediately scowled at the smiling raven to hide his embarrassment. "No, I'm pissed off because I've been waiting here since ten in the morning because someone didn't give a proper time!"

Sasuke quirked an eyebrow and spoke slowly, as if the answer was obvious. "I don't come out when the sun is that high in the sky."

Then it clicked in Naruto's brain. "Oh, that's right! Vampires can't be in the sunlight or they will turn to dust forever, right?"

"Hardly. My blood is special, and I have a natural immunity to sunlight unlike some of the weaker species. However, I prefer to come out during the evening or nighttime."

Naruto snorted to himself. "Yeah, yeah. Now, can you come down here? It's hurting my neck to look up so high."

"Of course." Naruto's breath hitched watching Sasuke leap to the ground in one stroke and approach him slowly. They sat back down on the park bench together.

"Are you still frightened of me?" Sasuke murmured, watching Naruto's perky blue eyes with interest as they took in the sight of him. He turned his head towards him..

Naruto shook his head. "No, not anymore."

"So what am I?"

"A vampire."

Sasuke smirked. "Good."

"Bastard, I always believed you. At least a little."

* * *

Naruto told him about himself, how his real father died when he was young and that his kindergarten teacher, Iruka, has always raised him ever since then. That he had always dreamed of being president of Japan or another country, and that his favorite food was ramen.

Sasuke told him that he's been raised in a pureblood family called the Uchiha, and were the rulers of Japan's vampire clans since ancient times. But even that much information was stumping the blond, so he wouldn't tell Naruto anything else, despite the boy's pleadings.

"Sasuke, how old are you really?" Naruto smiled at stared into the brunette's eyes for any signs of lying but Sasuke averted his gaze.

"...Your questions are getting annoying." Sasuke frowned, leaning back into the creaking wooden bench..

"Could I ask you to visit my home sometime?" Naruto replied quickly, not waiting for an answer. Sasuke shook his head and said nothing, daring to stare back into Naruto's icy blue eyes and admired how still warm they looked surrounded by tan skin and the fox-like tattoos on his cheek. He kept the silence.

Naruto sighed and smiled at him anyway.. "You're an asshole. But I guess not so bad for a vampire, Sasuke."

Sasuke gave him a look. "And you suffice for a human, Naruto."

"Thanks…I think." Sasuke snorted at the boy's joke and turned to the darkening sky. The pressured weight of the sun was already beginning to leave his tensed skin.

He blinked as Naruto sat up and began to stretch his limbs. "You have to attend your nighttime profession now, right?"

Naruto checked his phone for the time and swore. He was already twenty minutes late. "Crap, you're right. I've got to go."

"As do I." Sasuke stood and let his eyes wander around their surroundings. The park street lamps were beginning to shut on, and the frolicking animals and people were getting scarcer still.

He closed his eyes and drank in the calm silence. "Naruto, do you know that Konoha named these gardens after the annual fox-hunting festival they used to hold every year against to ward off the mythical beast Kyuubi? After Kyuubi's death you humans lived in fear and every year hunted searching for its reincarnation." He opened his eyes and glanced back at the clueless boy.

"Our clan made it a celebration to tease you humans by shielding animals of the same nature, but now the times have changed. We haven't forgotten, but humans will move on." Naruto frowned at the growing silence that followed, not understanding.

He shrugged his shoulders and gave what looked like to Naruto a hint of a smile. "Just a hint for you to be able to guess my age little better."

Naruto laughed at that and watched Sasuke leap high enough to land on the tree's thickest branch.

"Sasuke, wait!"

He turned around and waited for Naruto to continue.

"Tomorrow." He quickly searched his surroundings, "Will I see you tomorrow?"

Sasuke bit his lip and shook his head. "Perhaps. Relax, moron, I will most definitely return. In the meantime, come up with some better questions."

Naruto barely had a moment to blink before Sasuke's body seemed to melt into darkness and dispersed suddenly into the night.

"Bastard," Naruto murmured to himself and didn't take his eyes off the lone thick tree branch, brushing the bangs out of his eyes once the wind began picking up. "What the hell is a Kyuubi anyway?"

* * *

So like, I understand that this one is a lot shorter than the other ones, but I decided to split up my next chapter in two, just to prolong this tone before I get all angsty and ridiculous like I usually do, haha. Anyway, I hope you guys have really enjoyed this thus far! Please drop me a line in the reviews!


	4. The Failures

_Drawn-Out Decisions_

Chapter Four: The Failures

Beta: strawberries and napkins

…

 _If there was one thing Sasuke could tolerate and perhaps even consider liking, it was the stars. Of all the years that have passed Sasuke by, things like the stars have never changed. They were always beautiful, a_ _phenomenon_ _that Sasuke could not even begin to describe when he did his late night stargazing. When he watched the stars, time seemed to tick backwards to an age Sasuke can't remember anymore._

 _Lately, he's had to take more time to stargaze. The clans were becoming restless amongst each other and with the American Revolution ending only for more war to be on the rise, more and more vampires were immigrating to Japan's vampire bund, and rules had to be created._

 _He sighed. Truly, he felt that his clan would end up victorious as they always were, but the fighting ran deep and could never be forgotten, because the initiators never died. And all the while Sakura is growing, becoming more mature and the ideas of a woman were beginning to shape her, he could see it. Her body was changing physically, her ideas of romance matured; the kisses lasted longer than a few seconds._

 _Of course, her personality hasn't changed, but now she prefers money or jewelry to please her instead of the sunflowers in their garden she asked for._

 _And she has not forgotten the promise,_ _thus_ _sometimes Sasuke wonders if it was worth tying himself to a mate so early in his life when the ideas of love were steadily changing. They were frivolous ideas for humans and completely useless to him, yet musing over them was strangely appealing to him._

 _To him, being a vampire was like being stuck between two worlds, never being able to_ _outlive_ _the stars but outlive everyone_ _who existed beneath them_ _. The stars guiding Orion's Belt twinkled like diamonds and were soothing to his soul, and he recognized these would be the last peaceful moments for quite some time._

 _The nightly breeze began to pick up, brushing the bangs from his eyes as he sat up._

" _Sasuke, did you know? The Americans...have won." A deep voice brushed against his ear and made him shiver, and not from the cold. Cold fingers wrapped around his shoulder,_ _tightening_ _._

" _It's unbelieving how_ _suddenly_ _the world can change, isn't it?"_

* * *

"Sasuke-kun, please remember that this garden party is important for us and the Uchiha name."

"I know that, Sakura."

"And all of our friends and respected guests will be there, so make sure to look your best."

"I know, Sakura."

"And remember to socialize with most of them, they do admire hearing good words from the future head of the Uchiha clan and⎯"

"Sakura. I know."

"But I just want you to know that⎯"

" _Sakura._ "

She squealed and hugged Sasuke from behind, smiling warmly once Sasuke began to relax in her grasp. "Of course you know. I am only jesting with you Sasuke, forgive me."

"I always do." He patted her arms and broke away from her grasp, turning around to face her as she began to adjust his necktie for him. She smiled and ran her fingers across his chest with a familiar glint in her eyes.

He took her hands and squeezed them lightly. "Sakura, stop."

"I know, I know. Forgive me again and let me change the subject. When will I be able to meet my new human friend, Naruto?" She mouthed the name twice more on her lips, relishing in the tingling feeling it left on her tongue.

Flashes of golden blonde hair, bright eyes and that everlasting smile immediately sent a soft smirk to Sasuke's face in memory. Sakura didn't miss it. "Not anytime soon, there are too many important things we must attend to first."

"I cannot wait, humans are interesting, and perhaps Naruto will enjoy the same things I do!" She smiled brightly and pecked Sasuke's lips quickly. "I have a good feeling about today, do you agree?" Her eyes were expectant.

Numbly, Sasuke nodded and moved to put on his suit jacket.

* * *

In all of the parties Sasuke's been roped into attending, they have never changed. The fashions, the dances, and conversation topics even, but there was one thing about vampire parties that never changed. Everyone used it as an excuse to become promiscuous. There's always been something about vampires interacting with other vampires that usually led things down that path. Sasuke couldn't have counted how many times hands, lips, and in some cases even tongues have invaded his privacy without consent while he was intoxicated or bloodthirsty.

While Sasuke is guilty of admitting he isn't vicious enough in his refusal, he doesn't like being favored just because his looks are comparable to the average vampire.

That's why he's thankful for Sakura; she makes sure that no one touches him if he doesn't want them to. And the touching he _does_ want, she takes care of herself.

But the one person she couldn't save her fiancé from was his own brother. When he comes around, Sakura is wise enough to know not to challenge him and just leave them to their own devices, and Sasuke is thankful for that bit of common sense she has.

It takes awhile for Sasuke to loosen up, a few blood tablets will usually do the trick, and then Itachi will make his move, invading his space as always with warm breath tickling against Sasuke's ear.

"Still agreeing to be tied down to that woman, little brother?" Itachi nuzzled his brother's neck and smirked at his Sasuke's scowl.

Shrugging Itachi off, the drink in Sasuke's hand went down quickly with a good burning feeling. "Leave Sakura out of our conversation for once." He warned dangerously when he turned to face his brother.

"It is just my humble advice, dear brother, you have been tied down to her sufferance for far too long. Do you not agree that it may be time to expand your other options? Your cute face is sure to draw in more than a few suitors."

"...My face is not cute." Sasuke reached for another glass from the tray of a waiter as he passed.

The soft smirk on Itachi's face grew stronger still. "Debatable, I'm sure. However, I actually came to inform you of a noble's meeting called immediately. Father sent me to fetch you."

"Father?" Sasuke's heart pounded so loudly that he had to pretend to be more interested in his drink than hearing Itachi speak.

The eldest nodded. "Alert no one else, our faith stays in the clan. Now, let us continue on, they are waiting for our arrival." He started moving immediately. Sasuke downed his drink quickly and tried quickly to search for Sakura, scanning the crowd. She was too busy conversing with her other affluent friends that it wouldn't have mattered anyway. Instead, his gaze fell on a perky looking blonde who had been eyeing him for some time.

Sasuke involuntarily shivered, and then followed his brother onward.

* * *

Sakura watched Sasuke leave with his brother with an angry look on her face. Every time she had one of her parties, Itachi would show and take him away for one of the family meetings. There were still more guests that she had not introduced either herself or Sasuke to and it was frustrating to claim to be the fiancé of the Uchiha heir who was never there beside her.

Yet she knew that it would be improper of her to ask Sasuke to stay, because the clan comes first. And hopefully, one day, she'll be included in those secretive meetings too.

Her eyes fell on a petite-looking blonde girl who was also watching her husband walk away. She waited until the girl felt her gaze and looked over to her. Sakura glared hatefully, making the girl jump and scurry off into the crowd of people.

Sakura smirked. It was useless for those other women, even in the dark her hair was much too bright to be mistaken, she was a Haruno. And Sakura would make sure she understood that Sasuke belonged to her.

"Sakura!" She turned instinctively at the voice and smiled at her childhood friend, who had her arm entwined with a grumpy looking Hyuuga. She smiled at the two of them.

"Good evening, Ino, Hyuuga-san. I am glad to see you both have decided to come!"

Ino smirked at her friend and used her free hand to flip her blonde hair over her shoulder. "We both wanted to. Everyone has to attend a boring, drab party once in awhile." She winked at Sakura's annoyed expression.

Neji fought the urge to roll his eyes at Ino's teasing, choosing to change the subject. "Haruno-san, how has Sasuke been fairing?"

The pinkette raised an eyebrow. "He has been well since you have last asked. You seem to take a great interest in my fiance's whereabouts and actions. Still attempting to learn about Uchiha practices, are we?" Ino clicked her tongue and grinned widely.

"But of course! It is about time that Uchiha clan meet its demise." Neji smirked at his wife's tone when Sakura frowned at the two of them, placing a hand on her hip.

"Relax, Sakura. We only joke." She laughed and Neji glanced at each other with hidden meaning. Sakura opened her mouth and was about to respond when Ino suddenly released Neji and whispered something in his ear. He frowned, but nodded anyway.

"Pardon me, Haruno-san. I have other things to attend to, please excuse my rudeness and thank you for inviting my fiancé and I. I'd appreciate you watching over her until I returned."

Sakura pouted and nodded as Neji hurriedly began to walk off and looked to her friend for answers. She opened her mouth to speak again but Ino grabbed her face and whispered in her ear dangerously.

"Do not speak, here comes the Hyuugan Heiress." She squeezed Sakura's hand and plastered a wide, fake smile on her face, when the buxom beauty had already started sauntering towards them with a fake smile on her face.

Sakura inwardly grimaced and squeezed Ino's hand back, feeling her body freeze up as a result of the heiress immense power. She cursed silently at herself that she wasn't even strong enough to withstand her aura.

"Hyuuga Hinata, it has been awhile since we have last spoken and you look beautiful as always." Ino smiled at the woman and gave her a polite curtsey that Hinata ignored and focused her eyes on Sakura. She was breathtaking. Those hauntingly pale eyes on a perfectly smooth face, made-up with dark, gothic makeup and completed with a bold red lip. Her raven hair was shining brightly even in the dim lighting and was perfectly smoothed and fell down her back. She was every part of a woman that Sakura wasn't.

The pink-haired hair girl stiffened under her gaze but managed to smile. "It is an honor to see you have come to the party, I would have thought you had...better things to do," she noted Hinata's eye twitch at the comment.

"I wouldn't miss it for anything." Hinata ran her hand over her long purple velvet gown that billowed all the way down to her ankles. "Otherwise I would have no place to show off this beautiful garment!" She twirled around in the gown excitedly. Sakura felt her heart twinge at the thought that her own gown was decidedly less expensive. She made a note to mention this to Sasuke later.

"The modern styles suit you well, Hinata-san." Sakura murmured and then examined the garment hugging Hinata's body again, She recognized the pattern. She shot a glance at Ino who held her eyes on Hinata.

She giggled in response. "Thank you, Sakura. Now, Ino, have you seen where my dear cousin has gone?"

Sakura felt Ino stiffen. "He had other things to take care of...uh, men, you know." She winked at Hinata who eyed Ino curiously and then tucked her hair behind her left ear.

"That is too bad, we had much to catch up on," Hinata's eyes cut across the grassy plain, examining the other mingling vampires. "Well then, excuse me Sakura but I need to borrow Ino instead. These are people I am sure you are more familiar with than I. We usually never dine with the lesser clans. You know these types of peasants⎯"

"These _people_ are not peasants, they are respected nobles too!" Sakura snapped suddenly and ignored the tight warning squeeze from Ino's hand and glared at Hinata fiercely.

Sakura suddenly regretted her decision to speak out when she swiftly felt her legs give out from underneath her and her head began to swim. She nearly crumbled under her own weight if not for Ino who caught her.

"Sakura! Are you alright?" Ino gasped, helping her friend stand on her own two feet.

Sakura kept her head down, refusing to meet Hinata's harsh gaze twirled the ends of her hair between her index and thumb, looking bored.

"I'm sure she is just lightheaded from not taking a tablet in so long. Do not worry for her." She said calmly and grabbed Ino's other arm, pulling her away from Sakura.

"We must get moving, the night is still young. Sakura, please get better soon, it is impolite to make sick in front of others."

Sakura's legs felt like cement; she couldn't move. Her own feelings of humiliations grew into anger and she glared at the raven-haired heiress. Ino paled.

"Y-Yes, of course Hinata. Let me introduce you to my other friends…" As they walked away, Ino shot her a sad look and mouthed words Sakura couldn't decipher.

She snatched a glass from a passing butler's tray and downed the contents quickly, embracing the burn and surge of energy that stopped the shaking in her legs. Sakura frowned and for the first time wished she hadn't have been so quick to retaliate to Hinata's words.

Sakura was going to marry into the Uchiha family, and until then she figured it would be wise to avoid powerful people such as Hyuuga Hinata.

* * *

"Sakura, I have warned you many times about speaking out against the Hyuugas." Sasuke said without looking up from the book he was reading while listening to Sakura retell the events of the party.

Sakura sighed as she peeked out of the window of their many butlers hurriedly cleaning up their backyard. "She was looking down on us! Surely you would have wanted me to defend us, right?"

Sasuke shrugged. "The Hyuuga clan moves of its own accord, disrespecting any of those short-tempered bastards will get you exactly what you have received. Or worse." He pulled at the tie suddenly clinging too tightly at his throat.

"Do you not care that she nearly killed me?! It was humiliating." Sakura shouted and grabbed Sasuke by the shoulder. He smacked her hand away and whirled around in his chair angrily.

"Of course I care, but that is besides the point. Recognize and respect your match in others who are stronger than you, for your own safety Sakura. I won't always be around to protect you."

She frowned and wiped at her moistening eyes. "But those eyes…"

Sasuke interrupted her. " Those eyes mark the different between you and her. They are the power of the Hyuuga and that sickening ability of theirs. Those are powerful eyes, and you know that. Don't challenger her again." He stood and cupped her face, smoothing her hair back. "It's over now, so relax."

She smacked his hands away. "You are right, those eyes are more powerful than I, but not more powerful than yours. My eyes are not worth much, either. What could I have done even though I am an Uchiha?"

Sasuke frowned and reasoned that her questions were rhetorical as she sighed and stomped out of the master bedroom, slamming the door loudly behind her. Sasuke looked at the door, and then the book he hadn't finished reading yet.

He sighed and sat back down at his desk, wondering when Sakura had become so obsessed with power when she was once been such a blissful, blessed child.

Sometimes it amazed him how time had the power to change even the everlasting beings.

* * *

I know this chapter doesn't have any Naruto in it, but I found this one fun to write, I want to flesh out Sakura's character more and define the sides of the vampire clan's bund. I like these pairings too. I don't think I'll go far beyond the SasuNaru relationship dynamic, but the rest of these characters are about to engage in a serious power play soon. Hope you guys are ready!


	5. The Wanted

Drawn-Out Decisions

Chapter Five: The Wanted

Beta: strawberries and napkins

….

 _The flames of the fireplace illuminated Itachi's face in the worst way possible, like it was trying to paint_ _blush on the apples of a_ _dead face._

 _"What distresses you so, Sasuke?" Itachi murmured, his lips brushing against the rim of his teacup._

 _Sasuke scowled deeply. "You summon me here to inform me of your ridiculous ideas, and then you ask what distresses me? What you are saying to me not only unreasonable, but it is dangerous. Who here is being the foolish one this time?"_

 _Itachi set down his cup and sighed. "I thought you would understand."_

 _"The only thing I understand Itachi, is that you are throwing away a good family name for thoughtless reasons. If father heard of this—"_

 _"He will not hear of anything_ _._ _" Itachi snapped suddenly, staring Sasuke down into submission. The brunet ignored his brother's angry look. Itachi was not angry, he knew; he was still wary if Sasuke was trustworthy. It was insulting for his brother to be so suspicious of him, but it was not like he didn't have good reason._

 _A part of him swelled inside that his brother would trust him with such personal information, but another part of his wished he didn't know anything. This was only going to make his job more difficult._

 _"If you do not rule the Bund beside me, then whom will I depend upon? The Hyuugas?" Sasuke tried to imagine himself ruling Japan's bund with Neji by his side. Possible, yes, but not very likely._

 _There was a playful look in Itachi's eyes as he spoke. "You would run to those cowards? They will only result in your immediate death. Let Caesar's destruction be a lesson to you."_

 _This time it was Sasuke's turn to snap angrily. "I_ _'m not half as old as you are, brother. And I know that you_ _was never fond of Caesar or his_ _brutish_ _ideals."_

 _"_ _Well, n_ _either was_ _Brutus._ _" Itachi took another sip of his glass while Sasuke clenched his fists and stared emptily at the blazing fire. His brother cleared his throat, and the old chair creaked beneath him when he leaned forward and placed his hand on Sasuke's knee, tapping it twice._

 _"I am sure you will find a more suitable match than I, because I am disgusted with the Uchiha name. I have finally had enough."_

 _Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Vampires never have enough of anything, that is absurd. Do you even realize what you are throwing away—?"_

 _"The throne."_

 _"Yes, the throne but more than that, Itachi! The burdens you are leaving me are—"_

 _Itachi interrupted him again with a slight smile, leaning back into his chair while brushing his hair off his shoulders. "They are nothing you cannot handle and unfortunately, this would have been expected of you anyway. They have great hopes for you, Sasuke."_

 _Sasuke rubbed his temples, trying to sort out his thoughts and all the hidden meanings in his brother's words. He sighed, knowing that there was no more deliberating on Itachi's decision that could be done. It had become finality._

 _Itachi smiled wistfully at his younger brother's pained face, looking contorted and old even in his relatively young age. He leaned forward again and with two fingers poked Sasuke's forehead, chuckling softly. "I…have great hopes for you, Sasuke."_

 _Sasuke touched his forehead gently and fought with himself to stop smiling back._

 _"Enough of this. Pack your belongings so we can depart this horrendous place. The Japanese are heading for Shanghai as we speak."_

* * *

Sakura frowned as she stirred a sugar cube into her cup of tea. She had escaped the house early, trying to avoid Sasuke as much as possible. The only person she wanted to see was Ino.

Her friend smiled wistfully at her condition, "I remember when tea used to be so hard to come by…"

Sakura nodded despite herself, staring at down at her reflection in her glass. "Yes, and I have never visited America since."

"Things have changed since then, though. America is now a wonderful place!" Ino argued, playing with the hem of her lace napkin.

This time Sakura scowled and glared at Ino. "There is nothing good about a nation that houses such a monster."

Ino sighed and ran a hand through her hair, thankful for the giant umbrella shading her skin from the sun's beams of light. "Please do not take Hinata's actions seriously, she is not a very social girl and is easily threatened." The pinkette openly scoffed and sipped her tea as Ino continued. "And it is not wise to mock my the sister of my fiancé so negatively. It is our duty to care for Hinata while she is with us, whether we enjoy her company or not. So mind your tongue. These walls have ears."

"But why?" Sakura spat angrily. "Why do you have to put up with someone who is so mean to us?"

Ino blinked twice. "Hinata is not mean, she is merely confused as to Japanese immortals and our traditions."

Sakura gave her friend a look. "The dress she wore belonged to _you_ , Ino. I should know; I helped Neji pick it out." She watched Ino's gaze drop down to the table and saw the slight clenching of the blonde's fists. Sakura hid a smile. Maybe Ino wasn't so blissfully ignorant to Hinata's mischief. Sakura herself was livid to see Hinata in it. A priceless gown more expensive than anything Sakura owned, but that she was proud to have worn by her childhood friend. To see it on that dark-haired demon was just...too much.

"The dress…is of no importance. When Neji rightfully takes his place, he will buy me a hundred, no, a thousand more beautiful gowns just for me. This is temporary." Ino waved her hand as if the conversation should have ended, but Sakura didn't miss the way Ino's eyes glistened as though she was about to cry.

"I will not let her get away with this." Sakura said softly.

Ino shook her head and sighed. "Yes you will. We all will because we are not like her, Sasuke, or Neji. They are a class above us, and if you want to become as powerful as them, you will learn to humble yourself, Sakura. It is not just about wealth anymore. We must be able to command respect as well."

She stared hard into Sakura's eyes, forcing Sakura to really think about what her friend was saying. It weakened Sakura's resolve. Ino was as right as Sasuke was, that trying to pick a fight with someone stronger than her would end in self-destruction, but the nagging in her mind and anger in her heart exceeded her reasoning.

She took another sip and decided to change the subject. "I have a secret I wish to share."

"A secret?" Ino grinned, looked about their surroundings and then leaned in close to Sakura. "What type of secret?"

Sakura smiled. "Sasuke will bring me a human." Ino gasped.

"A human! They are not allowed here!"

"I know," Sakura turned her focus on the scenery around them as she spoke, "but I have discovered Sasuke's fondness of human blood and made a deal with him. If he brings me a human to befriend, then I will keep _his_ secret."

Ino squealed and dropped the napkin she was holding, resting her hands on the table. "How much do you know about the human? When will you get to meet them?"

Sakura tapped her chin in thought. "Well, he told me that his name was Naruto Uzumaki, but I am not sure when the time will come when Sasuke will bring him to me."

"Him? Naruto is a female's name." Ino raised an eyebrow and suddenly the atmosphere got awkward for the two of them. Sakura's smile vanished from her face.

"No, no…Naruto is definitely a name for a male…"

Ino shook her head sadly and sipped on her tea again, feeling sorry for her friend. "Perhaps you should ask for more information on the human, because to me it looks like the one Sasuke has been seeing is indeed a woman. And if Sasuke is _anything_ like my beloved husband Neji…"

She shot Sakura a look.

"Well, I think you know what I mean."

* * *

Sasuke sighed and rubbed his eyes roughly as he heard the hard clicking of heels heading his way. He had even purposefully chose to sleep in the ancient Uchiha coffins instead of the bed to avoid her wrath. But he knew that her anger was unavoidable.

He sat up and arched his back, hearing his rigid bones pop and crack. "I have become too used to a human bed…"

Sakura didn't bother to use the door, opting to slide right through the wall and before Sasuke even noticed it, she was standing over him with either hand on her hips.

"Using bloodline skills against a half asleep opponent? How unfair." He huffed and pushed his bangs out of his eyes, giving her a bored stare.

She didn't even seem fazed. "Oh, you mean like how Hinata has treated _me_ and you did not care?"

"Please, do not start this again. I have already forewarned you about—"

She waved her hand absently, cutting him off. "Yes, yes. I have heard you before; do not treat me as if I am still a child because I can handle myself. There is another matter I need to ask you about."

He rubbed his shoulder. "Assistance with something?"

She growled, shoving Sasuke back into the coffin. She jumped in after him, straddling him with her thighs and effectively preventing any kind of escape. He could tell now, in the way her eyes were searching for fault. Her chest heaved from the use of her powers, and she was hiking her dress up her thighs...but the action itself didn't seem sexual. When she acted like this-jumpy and frustrated-it confused Sasuke. So wisely he chose to hold the silence and his biting remarks until she continued.

"The one I want to see, the human…Naruto…" she trailed off and for once actually looked embarrassed. "I-Is Naruto a woman you've been seeing all this time!?"

This time, Sasuke didn't repress the urge to laugh. "You are still a child, after all. Release me Sakura, you are testing my patience now and I have another meeting to attend soon."

She was blushing so terribly that the red of her cheeks were not flattering the color of her hair anymore. "No! I am not moving until I get an answer from you. Ino insists that Naruto is the name of a female. It is not that I do not trust you Sasuke, however…Ino said stuff about how Neji is…"

Sasuke 'hn'ed loudly and forcefully lifted his fiancé by the hips, effortlessly throwing her aside and pulling them both out of the coffin. When he felt her tense and try to pull away, he heaved her body over his shoulder, chuckling. She pounded her small fists against his aching back all the way down the hall and into his study, leaving wrinkles on his pressed shirt.

"Sasu—" He dropped her on her back unceremoniously to the chaise and got down on his knees with a finger against her lips. There was a displeased snarl etched all across his face, and it was enough to make Sakura go silent.

"You ask me to find you a human companion, and I have. Naruto is a male, blond, with blue eyes. He works at a grocery store, loves ramen, and laughs a lot. He's annoying, and lives alone. He's also an idiot who knows I'm a vampire and doesn't care. That is all the information I have on him so far." Sasuke growled and for moments his eyes did a quick sweep of the darkened room for any signs of spying.

She pushed his hand away and opened her mouth, making a pleased sound like a purr. Sasuke hushed her again and grabbed her by the cheeks, clenching painfully.

"You can't go on sharing information about this to others, Sakura. This was a home given to us, not one I myself requested, and therefore we are never alone. You cannot be so carefree about speaking of humans, and if you cared at all about politics you would know that it is nearly illegal for me to be associated with them. Speaking about them when you are not in my private chambers is not allowed, so do not disappoint me." He released her face and stood with somber eyes watching her rub her face where he held her, but Sasuke wasn't remorseful in the slightest.

She sighed. "Forgive me, I was being foolish. Ino just got in my head a bit and I... I fear of losing you…" Sakura scrambled to her feet and cupped Sasuke's face, pressing soft kisses to his cheeks, eyes, and mouth. "I love you, Sasuke." She closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around Sasuke's neck. "Sometimes I feel like you forget and I love you. But you love me and I love you, and I won't let Ino and her scumbag of a future husband ruin it anymore with their ideas, so forgive me _Sasu-chan_." She nuzzled his chest and sighed happily.

Sasuke slowly pried her arms from around neck, sighing. "So if we're done now, Sakura, I need to take my leave. My brother will be coming for me soon."

"Sasuke! Pretend I am not some type of pestering bug for a moment." She tucked loose strands of pink hair behind her ear.

"You _are_ a pester to me. I can get no sleep when it comes to you." He half-smiled.

She winked at him. "You will get no sleep from me later tonight either." She grinned widely and he laughed, placing a light kiss on her forehead before walking out of the room and closing the door behind him, leaving her alone.

Sakura looked around the room again. _These walls have ears._

"Be safe," She whispered to the nothingness.

* * *

Hinata smiled softly in the lowlight of her scented candles as she combed through her long black hair with a hairbrush. And as she in front of her large vanity table adorned with gold that reflected the soft light, she flipped her hair back over her shoulder and stood, letting the silken robe fall to the floor.

Ino grimaced and kept her head bowed, knees on the ground, as the nude Hyuugan heiress redressed herself in a long and thick nightgown before re-seating herself on the vanity's matching stool.

She clutched the ends of her dress in anger. Those were her clothes.

"I appreciate and am most envious of your vast wardrobe, which is nothing compared to mine in style…" Hinata paused and turned to Ino with a smirk on her face. "But perhaps in quantity."

She painfully pinched herself to chase the tremors out of her voice. "Hinata…my fiancé will be home soon. I cannot waste idle time here."

The smirk playing on Hinata's lips slowly turned into a deep pout. "Did you not ask to see me? I certainly did not summon you here tonight." She took swift steps until she was in front of Ino, and gently placed her finger under the blonde's chin, lifting her head so they could look eyes. "Now, tell me about your tea party with the Uchiha-to-be."

Ino averted her gaze. "I only came here to—"

"Tell me!" The voice was shrill. She flinched.

"Well yes, it's true Sakura and I met today. S-Sakura…said something about her and Sasuke getting a human." She bowed her head down and for the first time actually felt a bit of shame from being on her knees with her head down to someone who wasn't even _that_ far above her in rank. It was embarrassing.

Hinata lifted Ino's head up again. "Like a pet?"

"More like a friend?" She closed her eyes and swallowed thickly, trying to avoid her tears.

"I see. Thank you Ino. You are a good friend yourself, being so… accommodating. Do know how appreciative I am of your _assistance_." She stood and gave Ino a small smile before turning around to the mirror, and in a gentle motion stroked the ends of her hair, so casually it brought a sickening feeling to Ino's stomach. As if all this were normal.

"Nara! Come out now, dear." She commanded into the darkness of the room. There was no answer.

She huffed. "Nara!"

Ino's eyes widened double in size and somewhere in the back of her head she knew what Hinata meant by 'Nara'. Her suspicions were confirmed when she finally felt the spike in vampiric energy and the shadows in the mirror began to move and shifted into the form of another vampire.

He scowled and looked around the room at a smug Hinata and frightened Ino. His eyes widened. "There are to be no witnesses," he growled at her. She rolled her eyes.

"That is none of your concern. A servant is servant whether another sees or not, right?" Hinata absently began twirling with her hair in one hand and with her other she pointed at an embarrassed looking Ino.

Hinata smiled. "Ino tells me that Sasuke is smitten with a human. I want you to follow him and confirm this for me. And you'll tell me about everything you find, right, Shikamaru-chan?"

Ino let out an audible gasp and stared in confusion, mouthing words at Shikamaru behind Hinata's back that he couldn't recognize.

Shikamaru glared at Hinata with a snarl. "I am a servant, not a spy. Find someone else for that kind of work." he said defiantly.

Hinata's nostrils flared as she titled her head, pale eyes glowing an ominous white. Ino realized that she was watching someone succumb to Hinata's hypnotizing power for the second time. Shikamaru fell to his knees in a daze.

"You will follow Sasuke for me, whether you like it or not. Become his shadow, and tell me everything we need to know." She glanced at Ino who sat up rigidly, avoiding her eyes.

Shikamaru nodded.

"Very good. Now transform, Shikamaru-chan." Hinata pointed at him with her index finger, her glowing eyes narrowed dangerously.

Shikamaru didn't move.

"I said **transform**!" she shrieked and instantly Ino's senses were choked with the full stench of demonic power coming from Hinata. She mouthed his name like a silent prayer and tried to shrink herself on the floor, in fear that she was going to kill Shikamaru under the brunt of her force.

Shikamaru suddenly nodded again and the shadows around the room contorted and shifted around him. Ino gasped and stared at the full-fledged wolf standing before both of them.

Hinata smirked. "Find him, and report back to me if you find anything." The wolf grunted and sank back into the shadows, disappearing from sight.

Ino wiped her moist eyes. "Shikamaru…"

Hinata snorted loudly and tossed her hair. "Be more concerned about my dear cousin or I will be more than willing to report on the well being of the Uchihas." She smiled at Ino, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"Now then, show me what is so exciting about having a slumber party…"

Numbly, Ino nodded. "As you'd like, Hinata-chan…"

* * *

I hope you guys liked this chapter so far. I know some if not all of you are anxious for Naruto and the other 'humans' to jump back in the story but later on you'll see how important it is to know the dynamic of all the vampires here otherwise Naruto's entrance in their world won't have the same impact you know? It's going to get sooo good! I have so many ideas and some interesting directions I want to take this so please, stick with me. Also, if you did enjoy the chapter please leave a review. They're always so helpful and encouraging!


	6. The Ignored

Drawn-Out Decisions

Chapter Six: The Ignored

Beta: strawberries and napkins

…

 _Even in the below freezing temperatures, Ino shrugged off her jacket and inhaled the cold air that shocked her lungs with a warm smile. The blonde leaned against the_ _balcony_ _railing and stared out into the snowy distance as sleet and hail whipped across her face and exposed arms._

 _She threw her head back and_ _howled_ _. "Foolish humans, foolish Germans!_ __ _N_ _o one can touch this blessed city of Leningrad!" Her voice echoed in the distance and mingled with the faraway sounds of gunshots and victory screams._

 _Someone grabbed her arm from behind_ _yet_ _she didn't flinch._

 _"The weather here is terrible." The voice was cold but even then she purred and relaxed into the touch._

" _You should have known that it would be nothing like the hot sands of your precious Egyptian lands." The man snorted_ _at the comment_ _and wrapped his arms around her small frame_ _, and_ _his head against her hair._ _He breathed in deeply,_ _inhaling the smell of flowers and sulfur._

" _Of course_ _..._ _I knew this and yet I came anyway. A_ _n act of deliberate purpose._ _"_

" _Oh? You came for no purpose, traveled a long way to Russia, to my precious Leningrad, and no less, during a war. Ah, and do not forget to include that this is all without my fiancé's knowledge." Ino smiled cheekily and spun around, fully embracing the larger man. "But still, I have missed you, Shikamaru."_

 _She placed a cold kiss to his cheek. "They have all told me that you and the clan had all been slain._ _What of_ _your mother and father?"_

 _He growled angrily and nipped at the shell of her ear. "I did not travel all this way to bring words of my parents. I did not come for my clan."_

 _She grabbed his face and kissed his forehead, both eyelids, and then his lips eagerly._ _Then he finally_ _smiled._

" _I came for you."_

* * *

There was slight shuffling in the bed when Sakura moved closer to Sasuke and buried her head into his chest, mumbling something in her sleep. Sasuke patted her head softly and waited for her to fall back asleep before he slowly inched his way out of bed, and carefully began to redress himself for the day.

Light was beginning to peek in through the curtains, making Sasuke frown and note to himself that he was have to tell a servant to find heavier opaque curtains for Sakura's sake.

There was a throbbing in his head that wouldn't go away. He dismissed it-with the usual stressful issues of his clan, the up-stirring Sakura has caused with Hyuugas, and the annoying image of a blond that kept invading his thoughts-it could be expected at least.

It was times like these that Sasuke wished he was allowed to dream as well as sleep. As he bent down to lace up his heavy boots, there was a gentle knock at the door. He immediately glanced back at Sakura who already began to stir and he cursed under his breath, putting on his outer trench coat. It was just like him to never sleep, to always be awake and prepared for everything, even if he didn't want to be.

"S-Sasu…chan…" she mumbled with a frown, furrowing her eyebrows in her sleep. She had noticed the absence of his aura.

"Hn?" He grunted as he ran a hand through his bedhead, hair shining under the pieces of bright sun that kept peeking through. Sakura would have to cover herself soon.

"Get…Naruto…"She grumbled, and then yawned softly as the shuffling stopped and she fell right back to sleep. He sighed and rubbed his forehead. He had planned to spend his day doing a bit more paperwork, and dealing with his ever-elusive brother and other members of the clan.

But something was nagging at him to see the blond again. He scowled at the thought and turned from Sakura, heading for the door. He opened the door gently, and greeted his still tired brother standing in the doorway with a slight nod. Itachi whipped his tousled hair over his shoulder giving Sasuke a bored stare and headed on, wasting no time leading the way down the hall.

He sighed. Now it also seemed he was also going to be finding the time to visit Naruto once again.

* * *

Today was one of those lucky days where Naruto has the day off. And as he usually would on days off, he went shopping for exactly twenty-seven packs of ramen and three two-liter sodas and then cleaned the house so he could lie around and watch television for seven hours. It was pretty much a ritual.

But it only took him two hours of lounging into the night and binging before half of his supplies were gone. There was nothing worthwhile on TV, and all of the house chores had already been taken care off. He had called Kiba twice with no response, and even called Gaara **,** who didn't pick up either. Figures that everyone else had something to do tonight except for him. Or at least, someone to be with. Sasuke kept coming back to Naruto's mind. His face, his hair, his dark, dark eyes…

Naruto slapped at his sleepy cheeks. "I…need something to do." There was too much mystery hidden within the dark haired boy for him not to explore, at least a little bit.

He wiped the crumbs away from his shirt, yawning and walking into his bedroom. He planned to take a nap, but the glow of the computer screen was too enticing to resist.

He started fooling around first with his email, and then moved to Google, initially searching ridiculous things like his own name, and crazy internet hoaxes to laugh at. He found there were all types of hoaxes; about ghosts, monsters, murders, werewolves, and…vampires. Naruto raised an eyebrow and clicked on the first link. The screen blinked.

 _ **The**_ _ **Vampire-Hybrid**_ _ **In**_ _ **fection**_ _ **H**_ _ **oax**_ _ **. Millions living among us. Can it really be true?!**_

His mind blinked back to Sasuke for the umpteenth time this morning as he skimmed the page, and it suddenly dawned on him to try the vampire's name in the Google search box. Nothing came up except for a few anime-related titles. He thought back…the last time they met Sasuke did mention something about the Kyuubi festival…

He shrugged. "It's worth a try, I guess." He typed in 'Konoha Kyuubi Festival' and clicked on the first link, a news article.

* * *

Sasuke sat on the tree outside of Naruto's apartment, squinting through nearly closed blinds as he tried to watch Naruto fumble around on his computer. The wind rustled through the leaves and his clothes, cold air reaching right into his bones. He brushed back his tousled bangs with an amused look.

"Let's see how much information you can handle before you ask for me, Naruto."

He flicked his wrist, wriggling his index finger in mid-air around before stopping suddenly, eyes flashing.

"And don't forget to read aloud."

* * *

Naruto scanned the words briefly, opening his mouth to enunciate everything he was reading. The thought occurred to him that he should read aloud for some reason.

"The annual Konoha Kyuubi Festival is based upon the legend of an extraordinary man who saved the village from destruction of a large, nine-tailed beast they called Kyuubi. In honor of the brave man's sacrifice, it is tradition to hunt small foxes and anything resembling the Kyuubi demon. Although the legend has lives for many years, studies are showing that Kyuubi may have been linked to some type of vampire hybrid demon and blah blah blah…" He trailed off and scrolled down, silently searching for Sasuke's name to show up anywhere. It was mostly boring, and of no use. Naruto wanted the brunet here.

In the third paragraph, he finally found something related to Sasuke, and smiled. "Crest symbols of the Uchiwa Fan have been found on certain trees and rocks deep inside Konoha's forest, now being linked to a mythical vampire family that may or may not have stemmed from Kyuubi's story. Mythical researchers in England have also confirmed that⎯"

A slow breath tickled against his ear and made him stop mid-sentence.

"Reading something?"

Naruto flinched, whirling around in the computer chair to find an incredibly amused Uchiha sitting on his bed.

"S-Sasuke! What are you doing here? I mean, I thought…"

The raven looked smug. "I heard a call and answered it, if you do recall your own invitation previously. But I hardly think that is the reason you are so nervous now." He leaned around Naruto's frame at the blinking computer screen. "Tell me what you're reading about."

Naruto gasped and quickly exited the window before Sasuke could read glance at the title. "Nothing! N-nothing. I, uh…don't you ever knock before you come into someone's home? Their room? What the hell bastard, I could've been asleep or naked!" He frowned and pointed at Sasuke accusingly who shrugged again and leaned back on the bed.

"You could have been, yes." He smirked at the blond's reddening face and then turned his eyes to examine Naruto's room.

The room was dark since the blinds had not been drawn, and the floor was covered in scattered clothes, empty food containers and electronic cords. The only neat area was the newly made bed. But it was the faint smell of cologne, sweat, and something so intrinsically... _Naruto_ , that made Sasuke find the room more comforting and inviting than any room he'd ever been in before.

Sasuke wrinkled his nose at the unwelcome thought. That kind of thinking was dangerous.

"Your home is wonder you do not have many guests." He looked away from Naruto who was glaring at him.

"So are your manners. When's the last time you've been in school to learn them?" He found his glare weakening though when Sasuke's gaze returned to him and held itself there. Naruto found himself weakening under those dark eyes and looked away quickly. His heart was already beating fast, too fast for comfort.

"Well I mean, since you're here and all..." Sasuke raised an eyebrow, intrigued and gestured with one hand for Naruto to go on. Naruto gulped. "How about a drink...or something?"

Sasuke's eyes flashed greedily. "Why not then. Since you're in the mood to be so _hospitable_ , Naruto."

* * *

Naruto was amazed at how well and yet poorly Sasuke was holding his own liquor. He couldn't tell at first, but Sasuke was one of the quiet drunks. The kind where his eyes would just glaze over and his body posture was more relaxed than usual. They were sitting in his kitchen, Naruto at the small table and Sasuke was, irritatingly, sitting on top of it. He was starting to get the feeling that maybe Sasuke didn't prefer chairs.

He refilled the raven's cup with more wine. "Hah, Sasuke, I think we ought to make this your last one." Naruto laughed and sipped at his own wineglass, trying to stifle his unnecessary giggles.

Sasuke wrinkled his forehead in thought and took a large sip. "Says the one struggling to pronounce his words. I don't get 'drunk', at worse only intoxicated; the effects will wear off eventually."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Yeah, they'll wear off alright, it's called a hangover." Sasuke snorted and the two of them raised their glasses and sipped them until empty in a share silence.

"Your tastes in alcohol are poor." he murmured, eyes shifting. Naruto's eyes glazed over to the alarm clockblinking the current time, 12:30am. He opened his mouth to say something when he looked back at Sasuke and shrieked.

"Sasuke! You're bleeding!"

Sasuke raised and eyebrow and then touched his mouth in confusion, wiping away the dripping blood coming from his lips. His expression slipped back into cool stoicism.

"It happens sometimes."

Naruto gave him a hard stare. "'Sometimes'? You just happen to bleed spontaneously, _sometimes?_ "

"When I get…thirsty." Naruto opened his mouth in confusion when it finally dawned on him what Sasuke meant.

 _Oh._

They both sat in awkward silence and then Sasuke rolled his neck, sighing at the resounding _crack_ of bones. But Naruto couldn't think of any words to form the question hanging on the tips of his tongue.

"Alright." Sasuke said, hopping off the table, straightening his clothes. "I should probably take my leave, then." He started to move, but was cut off when Naruto hopped out of his chair.

"H-Hey! Where are you going? Out there to kill someone again?!"

Sasuke blinked, and licked his lips of the teeny drops of blood forming in the corners of his mouth. "..Yes."

Naruto paused, feeling his heart fight with his brain. He didn't want to be bitten again, but…at least this way he knew Sasuke wouldn't kill him, unlike some innocent civilian. He couldn't have that on his conscience.

An idea dawned onto him. He shakily reached for the corkscrew on the table, and, while catching Sasuke's inquisitive gaze, pressed the end of the screw into his finger with a small whimper as blood began trailing down.

"Here, bastard."

With a sly look, he raven closed his eyes and raised Naruto's hand to his lips, sucking gently at the dripping blood as he sank his fangs inside his index finger with a satisfying hum. Naruto gasped and wriggled uncomfortably for his hand back as Sasuke sucked the blood out of his finger at an alarmingly fast rate.

"Ow, stop!" Naruto growled. Sasuke opened his now blood-red eyes and glared, taking two more licks before releasing Naruto's finger with a loud and wet _pop_. Immediately, Naruto cradled his still lightly bleeding finger with his other hand as Sasuke wiped the excess saliva off of his chin.

When he looked Naruto in the eyes again, Naruto saw that the brunet's eyes had finally returned to its normal charcoal color. It happened so quickly Naruto could have passed off the color change as some kind of fluke but...he knew what he saw. For a moment, Sasuke truly looked like a vampire.

No one spoke.

Mildly disappointed in the reaction, Sasuke reached for his trenchcoat that he had removed earlier. His head no longer swirling from the alcohol, it was apparent he was sobering up quickly from the meal.

Naruto latched onto Sasuke's wrist. "Sasuke wait—"

Sasuke shook his head and looked down at his crisp white shirt, now stained with small drops Naruto's blood. The smell was still invading his senses, and Sasuke knew he had to leave before he got way too hungry.

"Now is...not the time. I should go."

It became apparent to him that Naruto was not yet ready to travel back with him and he was silently thankful for it. Sakura's request would have to wait.

Naruto frowned and clenched his bleeding finger against his palm to stop the bleeding and pushed it out of Sasuke's view. "Not the time for what? What are you talking about?"

Sasuke shrugged, looking down at his shirt again. "Nothing for you to be concerned of…yet."

Naruto blinked twice and then suddenly Sasuke was gone. He sank down to the linoleum floor of kitchen and drew his legs in close, shivering and somehow still bleeding.

* * *

Shikamaru sniffed around suspiciously, keeping out a high alert for the pink-haired woman. The rooms were all dark and empty, and there wasn't much of anything to snoop for; Sasuke kept all of his prized possessions including his files in a special place that even Shikamaru's nose couldn't figure out.

He de-transformed and stretched his nude human limbs, slowly coming out of his four-legged crawl. He was standing in one of the Uchiha's party rooms, lavishly decorated with walls adorned with large portraits of famous Uchiha members. He frowned as his eyes landed on the whirling red eyes of Uchiha Madara and unconsciously, he shivered. The idea of spying on such a large and ferocious family would be the death of him if he were caught.

His decided to keep his curiosity to himself before something tickled his nose.

"Shit!" he whispered with eyes wide and re transformed into his wolf shape and followed the smell nearly half around the room hidden behind the furniture before he stopped at the couch. He waited until the sounds of gentle footfalls faded away. Using his muzzle he pushed his face into the cushions and tugged out a simple dress shirt using his teeth.

Shikamaru growled lowly and sniffed all over the Uchiha's shirt, picking up the scent to be Sasuke's. Then he smelled the fresh blood of human and spotted droplets of blood on the collar. The young wolf barked and took a few steps back, de-transforming.

"It seems that Sasuke has a few other things on his mind than his own wife, though I cannot say I blame him much," Shikamaru mused as he pressed his nose to the garment, inhaling Sasuke's scent and the teasing scent of blood.

His own stomach reacted to it painfully, forcing him to move his face away. He clenched it between his teeth tightly, and listened for any noises. The sound of Hinata's laughter in the far distance made his heart sink, knowing full well she was only doing her job of distracting Sakura with no true intentions of being her true friend.

But that job would've been easy compared to this; Sakura was more than a bit naive for her age. Extremely so, because how was she not able to smell the blood? Sasuke had to have been in a hurry, judging on the poor measures he used to conceal his infidelity.

Or maybe she knew about it already, and maybe Sasuke wasn't one for blood tablets, choosing instead for the real thing. If Sakura knew and didn't care, then this wouldn't mean anything. He couldn't present this information to Hinata like this.

His mind coming to a conclusion, Shikamaru sighed. "Suppose it would be more troublesome, but it does not look like Hinata needs to be concerned with this...just yet." So he put the shirt back where he found it, and disappeared back within the shadows.

* * *

Sasuke had always wondered why Itachi's hands could be so warm when he was just as cold a vampire as he was. Those hands that always poked his forehead, squeezed his shoulders, brushed against his was always idly moving his hands when he talked to Sasuke, especially when it came to serious talk.

This time they were gently rubbing against his scalp. He brushed them away angrily. "Get to the pointbrother and stop your mindless behavior."

The frown on Itachi's face only lasted seconds before being replaced with an indifferent look. "Do not be so cruel to your only brother, I am only trying to help us bond. Dear Hinata-chan has shown me a few books on positive familial interactions in America. They were quite interesting; I'd recommend the read."

Sasuke growled and despite himself his face flushed, picturing just what Itachi must've read, knowing him to be a bigger pervert than most would assume him of. "The meeting, Itachi. We were talking about the meeting."

Itachi sighed and diverted his gaze to the incense burning beside them, the scents of jasmine and billowing in the corner. This room was meant for merry men to be sipping brandy and smoking out of thick pipes, not for moody vampires to be talking politics in the late night hours. He absently twirled his long hair in thought.

"Have you decided what to do about Sakura?" he murmured.

Sasuke blinked and raised an eyebrow. "I will marry her."

"And are you sure about that?"

Sasuke couldn't help but laugh darkly. "You show much concern for someone who has no interest in the future of the Uchiha or of the Bund, Itachi."

A single raised hand halted Sasuke's speech. "I am merely giving you my opinion. You have much longer than a lifetime;therefore it only makes sense to be happy in it. Of course, my bias also comes from me not trusting Sakura or the Harunos in general. You know of their past, do you not?"

Sasuke nodded his head stiffly watching his brother's eyes focus on him with the intensity he couldn't afford to ignore. Itachi closed his eyes slowly, and when he reopened them, they were swirling with emotion.

"It is important you do not make any mistakes." Itachi said as he stood up from the chair, motioning Sasuke to follow behind him. Sasuke slowly rose from his own seat and followed Itachi out of the room and into the dark hallway.

Itachi's hair moved like water as he walked. "You must be tired, _otouto._ "

Sasuke ground his teeth and opened his mouth to chastise his brother for speaking Japanese with him…but stopped when a sudden presence halted both men in their tracks. Itachi spoke first.

"It seems that we were not the only ones awake this late at night…why don't you join us, Hyuuga," Itachi commanded, his voice resounding in the hallway. Sasuke watched with half-amusement as a confused looking Hinata stepped out from the shadows, clad in a silken nightgown that kissed every curve. Sasuke inwardly scoffed at it. She was still as unappealing as ever.

She flipped her hair over her shoulder, with a smile. "I-I apologize. Sakura and I were just preparing for bed, playing around when…I got lost." Her eyes gazed over to Sasuke. "Would you be kind enough to show me back to Sakura's guest room?"

Sasuke glared at her. The twinkle in her eyes gave it away; Sakura had failed to mention anything about the Hyuuga coming over, and Sasuke wasn't quite sure he was going to give her the benefit of the doubt.

Itachi glanced back and forth between the two with a smirk. "Ah, well, we hope you are enjoying yourself in our home, Hyuuga-san. Do not allow me to be in the way, Sasuke, goodnight. To you as well, Hyuuga." The voice was curt, polite but Sasuke still caught the girl flinching and avoiding Itachi's gaze. She nodded and Sasuke frowned, watching his brother slowly disappear down the hall.

He grabbed the Hyuuga by the arm, tightly. "Does Sakura even know you are here?" His grip tightened, making Hinata wince. "Explain yourself or I will show no mercy."

She snatched her arm back and rubbed the reddened skin with a pout as she took a few steps back, her gown swaying along with her.

Sasuke eyed her carefully, wondering how she was able to get Sakura to keep a secret from him. It was obvious she wasn't here to be entertained by his fiancee. He growled dangerously.

"What business do you have with me?"

Her pale eyes narrowed mischievously as she ran her index finger over her lips with a shallow laugh, "I was wondering when you would grow tired of that flat-chested Haruno."

Sasuke downcast his eyes and rubbed his temples in aggravation, purposefully avoiding following her hands when they teasingly ran over her gown. He sighed; Hyuugas were much too prideful for their own good, especially when it came to sexual manners.

"I won't warn you again."

She pouted again. "How mean. I just wanted to know if…" she smiled slowly, "if you knew any good places to pick up a few humans."

Sasuke's eyes widened. Hinata pretended not to see it as she sauntered towards him with a devious smile gracing her features.

"Yes, you see, I need more servants around the house and I was wondering if you could be of assistance to me by suggesting a few places around Japan. You know a few places one could find one vulnerable? I need something pleasant to look at." She moved behind him and trailed her fingers across his arms, then rested her arms over his shoulders.

Her breath stank of animal blood. "You're quiet. Have I hit a nerve?" She purred against his ear. Calmly, Sasuke pushed her away, red eyes whirling.

"Leave."

She shrugged and laughed, retreating. "I guess not, huh? That is quite alright, although we _must_ talk some other time. For now, goodnight." Her figure disappeared, leaving Sasuke's mind racing.

* * *

Sakura smiled softly in the glow of hundreds of candles, as she sprinkled her body with various foreign oils and scents at her vanity desk. She dipped her fingers in the oil and ran her fingers down her cleavage, across her shoulders, neck, and then in-between her thighs.

The sleek gown she was wore was tight around her hips, the way she figured Sasuke would enjoy. A long day for him only meant a pleasurable night for him later, especially for Sakura when she would get to hear about her precious Naruto.

She crawled slowly over the scattered rose petals on their bed, and positioned her body to face the door. She giggled to herself as she waited for her raven-haired lover to open the door.

Only when he did, his face was livid and it wiped the seducing smile from her lips. She sat up, alarmed.

"Sasuke-kun, what happened?" Her eyes searched frantically, looking for the worst as Sasuke threw off his jacket and tossed a garment at her face. She caught it and gasped as a scent invaded her nose.

"Sasuke…you did not…"

He snapped at her. "Did you allow Hinata inside of my home?"

She flinched. "Yes but…" she trailed off when Sasuke swore and rubbed his temples. His eyes were bleeding red and the glowing of candlelight was only making him look more and more fearsome. She squeezed her legs together, feeling apologetic and helpless. She had invited Hinata over for a few glasses of tea, trying to take Sasuke's advice and make friends, but that was sometime ago and she sent Hinata off to bed in the guest room and out of Sasuke's awareness. It seemed that Hinata didn't stay there.

"I did not know."

"You did not _think_ ," he retorted. "You are leaking valuable information. Do you not have the slightest idea the trouble she can bring?"

He stared at her vulnerable form, red lipstick and blush on her face to the heavy smell of flowers around the room. Neither did much to lessen his displeasure. She frowned and softly moved to the edge of the bed, unbuttoning his shirt and kissing the exposed pale skin.

"Forgive me," she whispered against his skin. Sasuke shoved her roughly back onto the bed.

"Forgiven after your punishment." He said and tackled her. She cried out unhappily as he roughly pinned her down and made light work of his shirt. Sakura hated when Sasuke was rough and unkind to her, but this time she knew she deserved it for not being careful.

Love was absent from his unbound fury and hunger that no one would save her from.

"Punishment," she murmured in agreement and tilted her head, gasping with eyes wide as Sasuke bit into her, not hesitating to draw blood.

He was cruel and messy, staining their bed with droplets of her blood. The romantic atmosphere was successfully ruined.

"As long as you forgive me, Sasuke, I will do anything…" She winced slightly as clouds flooded her vision. "Anything for you."

Sakura envisioned Hinata for seconds before and the advice she received before they parted. She'll put it to good use.

Sasuke sank his fangs in deeper, ignoring her sentimental words to focus on filling his thoughts, anger, and hatred with the taste of metallic blood.

His only concern was how his mind eagerly reminded him that Sakura's blood just wasn't holding the same sweet taste…

* * *

I'm soo sorry I've been away so long! Currently irl I was going through a job change and it required a LOT of studying to pass a national mortgage licensing exam, plus all the little state requirements. SOOOO much learning! And now that I'm finally done (and luckily passed! ahaha) school is getting ready to start back up again for me at the end of August. But no fears! I plan to update this story as much as I can from now until then.

In any case, what did you think? Down the rabbit hole we go, and everyone's connected to each other. Please review! I'd like to know what you think!


	7. The Loathed

Drawn-Out Decisions

Chapter Seven: The Loathed

Beta: strawberries and napkins

…

 _A young woman frantically ran down the deep hallways of the_ _temple_ _, stumbling over her feet and her long swishing garment. Her fingers were sore and bleeding from working for the first time. The crown atop her head slipped out of her long raven locks and clanked down to the floor. She disregarded it._

 _The prayer words spilled from her mouth,_ _hurried_ _and crammed together. Her crying became more and more hysterical as the number of servants she was passing in the halls steadily rose. They ran away from the direction she was headed in, screaming and shouting. Many of their enemies followed them, bulky men dressing in flashy suits carrying knives, swords, anything used to kill._

 _They yelled words she couldn't recognize and stabbed her assistant, her bath maid, her chef. They wrapped strong arms around their throats and condemned their ways, calling them savage, evil. If she were in any other situation, she would have stopped and defended herself, and her people._

 _But this was no time for that. She wiped the running tears off her cheeks and continued stumbling forward, turning left, right, down the winding halls of the palace. One man shouted, grabbed her by the arm and shook her roughly. He barked out words with a thick accent, words she did not understand. She tried to talk back, but he would not listen._

 _His fingers dug into delicate skin, skin that had never experienced the feeling of being bruised, broken. She whimpered and then her eyes flashed red, overtaking her senses as she grabbed him by the neck and bit him. His blood was sour, and laced with the foul taste of rotten meat and bitter lemons._

 _She tossed his limp body to the floor, spit his tart blood back at him and then kept running, ignoring the fact that his blood stained her white gown. Any other day and she would have been furious, however, this was not any other day. The tears clouded her eyesight._

 _A woman ran the opposite way with blood on her hands and grabbed the young woman, begging that she not enter her lover's quarters. She barely recognized the weak woman as one of the thousand other virgin housemaids she recently hired. And that servant didn't know and never would know that she was supposed to be offered to the sun god the next day, by the her own choice vote. The young woman stuttered and apology and shoved the trembling maid out of the way._

 _"Chasca, chasca…" The maid fell to her knees, clutching a_ _mortal_ _wound between sticky, bloody fingers. She wanted to tell the maid now that she had lied, lied to everyone about being something holy, and that_ _the_ _pleads for her—_ _the_ _prayers for her, were useless. She was a monster. A dirty, bloody, monster._

 _The woman shuddered and kept moving, she had to keep moving if she wanted to find him. All she could think about was finding him. The tears were finally beginning to dry._

 _The door was wide open, but she knew to keep out of sight. There were three of the foreign men, with tough faces and dirty glares. She gasped, and there was her lover, on the floor of their bedroom chamber, tied and bound, slowly gagging._

 _Her eyes flashed red, ready to pounce and defend. But then, he looked to her solemnly, pleading with her not to reveal her true nature. She drew a shaky breath and tried to steady her falling tears. She already knew what would happen next._

 _The men, they stood over him and laughed at his clothes, his markings, and the color of his skin._

 _"Atahualpa…" She whispered, watching the only man she could trust slowly turn purple in the face._

 _They hoisted him up, threw him in a chair she could not recognize, that squeaked and gleamed to her blazing sun. It was something strange from their land, she figured. They tied a spiked band around his neck, and laughed in the same dark, evil tone._

 _"Salvaje."_ _The tallest of the man spoke in the language she couldn't understand. This language she could not decipher, after years of existence. And if she could not understand, how could he, her beloved?_

 _His head was trembling; and these intimidating men stripped every inch of royalty from him. Her beloved nodded answered in the native tongue, and she watched with a knife in her gut as they turned a metal knob and slowly suffocated him to death._

 _She thinks that this was the day she closed her heart for good when she spilled the blood of a human for a purpose, for revenge. The day she forgot what it felt like to be human and embraced her vampiric nature for what it was._

 _Humans were monsters, and so was she._

* * *

"Well, American politics never cease to amaze me. That man sure has my vote." Itachi smirked as he raised a warm cup of tea to his lips.

"He does not need your vote, he already won." Sasuke snorted and averted his gaze, looking downward as they swung dizzily back and forth on the billboard's ledge. Rushing cars honked back and forth, giving Sasuke an even worse headache than he had before.

Itachi nodded and took another sip. "It is truly a wonderful and yet…ironic thing to see a single man overcome a land that at one time did not want them."

"The times are always changing Itachi, even though we do not." Sasuke pointed out, half-amused.

"Oh? Pardon me then, I must be too amazed at the moment. It is strange though, do you not agree? Seeing life turn out like this…the human irony is something bizarre. Like a human joining with a vampire…" The question is left on the end, with a question mark.

Sasuke's eyes widened for a second, and then narrowed immediately. Immediately, he imaged Naruto, and their latest encounter. But Itachi didn't know anything, he was just speculating...right?

He glanced at his brother's smug face, assuming that he had Sasuke trapped.

So Sasuke shrugged casually and smirked. "Yes, like the fair Marie Antoinette. That story of yours always amazes me." Sasuke likes to use this joke, to hold a secret above his brother's head for once, even if it is hundreds of years old.

"Some other time, then." The smile on Itachi's face doubled in contentment, reminding Sasuke that even his brother was capable of having some type of emotion. He tried to mirror the smile. It failed.

Itachi's voice grew serious. "I worry about you Sasuke. You hardly tell me anything anymore."

Sasuke closed his eyes to images of crystal sapphire and gleaming blond. He wondered how long he would be able to hide his secret from Itachi before the elder found out—either passively or forcibly. "There is nothing to tell."

* * *

"I cannot stand this, Ino!" Sakura threw her hands up in the air, exasperated. She crumbled onto the bed she shared with Sasuke, not bothering to act more polite in front of her guest. It was only Ino, anyway.

Ino faked a laugh and sat beside her desperate friend, gently stroking her pink locks. "Do not over-exaggerate, Sakura. You know stress gives you wrinkles."

"I am a vampire! Wrinkles do not exist for me!" Sakura whined into the plush comforter, earning a giggle from her blonde friend. She lifted her head up and propped it onto her palms.

"What am I going to do, Ino-chan? Sasuke will not listen to me anyway; it is like I have lost all interest with him! And that pompous, arrogant brother of his Itachi—"

"Itachi? Oh yeah, the handsome one. He is prettier than Sasuke, you know. I still think you chose the wrong one." Ino tossed in, interrupting her friend. Sakura shot her a warning look before continuing.

"No, he is an ignoramus. He keeps disrespecting me like I am nothing…and Sasuke lets him! I do not know what to do anymore…" She moaned, plopping her head into Ino's lap.

The hair stroking increased as Ino thought of a way to help her distressed, young friend. More than often lately Sakura has come to Ino with her pre-marital problems—and for good reasons—but Ino knows better than to take it as far as meddling into their deep, unsettling issues.

"I suggest some break time, maybe Sasuke has more going on than he would like you to know about right now. Maybe you deserve a break, too."

Sakura grumbled. "He is in D.C with his brother right now. What more of a break can you get than that?"

"In America?"

Sakura nodded, refusing to meet Ino's disapproving gaze. "He is not allowed in America without the Hyuugas' permission! Do you know what will happen if he gets found out?"

She shrugged. "He can do what he wants…right? He is an Uchiha, and still…I am still just a Haruno."

Ino sighed and wrapped her arms around her friend, holding her close. She wanted to say how important being a Haruno was, and that it was almost ridiculous for her to be feeling overshadowed by the man she claims to love, but it wasn't like she didn't understand. Often times she felt herself overshadowed by Neji's impression, but she was sure Sakura wasn't quite ready for that secret yet.

She shook her head, rubbing circles in Sakura's back. "There has to be something for you, to take your mind off of all this…"

Ino waited patiently for her friend to respond. She heard a few sniffles, and then Sakura suddenly shot her head up.

"The human, my ticket out of all of this…it is the human, I can feel it."

"A human?" Ino raised an eyebrow. "What can a human do for you? Stop being ridiculous."

"Is my fiancé is allowed to keep in close company with others, than so should I. It is also important that I benefit from having connections, and that includes humans, right? How is it that only Sasuke gets to see Naruto? I was the one who asked to see him first!"

"You do not need some human named 'Naruto'. You have me, or did you so conveniently forget because the name Hyuuga has not yet been etched into my coffin?" The blonde snapped, feeling irritation grind at her forehead.

But still, Sakura was dead-set on the idea. "Naruto…The human Naruto is the key to my happiness, I know it. Sasuke will want to pass over this phase if he is exposed to it all the time, and then I will have him back. I know it. I get my vacation, Sasuke gets his wife, and it all works out. I know it." Her voice is forced.

Ino's gaze softened at her broken friend, who believed that extraordinary things like humans will somehow bring something back into her empty life. She wanted to tell her friend how it is impossible to save her future husband, that once his interest has taken a new path that it will be near impossible to take him back.

She wanted to tell Sakura, but instead she just embraced the smaller girl, and tried to feed her warmth she didn't have. She didn't want Sakura to end up a woman scorned.

Not like Hinata, and definitely not like herself.

* * *

The stinging of his palm woke Naruto from his deep sleep. At first it took a moment to wrap his mind around just why his finger hurt him, but when he did he nearly jumped out of his bed. Naruto rubbed his sore palm and examined the mark in amazement as Gaara's salve had already done its job. The redness and disgusting look of the bite was nearly gone, only the painful throbbing of what constantly felt like Sasuke biting him, over and over again.

He frowned and ran a hand through his messy blond tangles. "Bastard…" he murmured under his breath, hiding a smile. His eyes burned from the glare of the computer screen. Remembering the last time he was trying to be sneaky and do some research on Sasuke…

But the idea of finding out more about him was too much to resist, and he tiptoed over the cold hardwood flooring, and slipped onto the cushion swivel chair with ease. It creaked in protest, making Naruto jump in fear that Sasuke might be back.

He looked around twice and then opened Google™.

This time he skipped the information about the festival, and went straight for information about Sasuke. However, after a few un-resourceful clicking's around the search, 'Uchiha', he thought for a moment…and then changed a letter, making it 'Uchiwa'.

Then he struck. He clicked the first link and scanned over the tiny words as if they were the last sentences to a great book.

 _Uchiwa. Heian period. Imperial Court._

Naruto stopped. "Since the Heian period…wouldn't that make…" He clicked around a few more times, pulling up the computer's calculator. Shakily, his fingers typed in the numbers.

"That makes Sasuke one thousand, two-hundred and sixteen years old!"

Then he frowned. That didn't make sense. Sure, vampires can get pretty old…but how old is too old? Naruto guessed that if Sasuke really was that old, then any day now he'd be waiting to turn to dust. So that rules out one thing, Sasuke wasn't born over one-thousand years ago but still, he must've been—

A knock on the door nearly jolted Naruto out of his chair. He half-expected it to be Sasuke, but then again, Sasuke doesn't knock. He waited until the perpetrator knocked again before he hastily turned off the computer and stumbled over to the door.

"J-Just a second!" He shouted with shaky hands that unlocked the door. He opened it…

…and exhaled. It was only Iruka and his dog, Kakashi.

* * *

"You don't invite us over often enough, I get worried you know." Iruka gives the surroundings of Naruto's living room a disapproving gaze. Naruto rolls his eyes all the way in the kitchen, fully knowing what to expect next. The kettle of the pot thankfully drowns out the beginnings of the speech. He pulled out two coffee mugs, and dipped a teabag in each.

Green tea for Iruka, and peppermint tea for Kakashi. Sweet orange spice tea for himself. The scent tickled his nose.

"Yeah, yeah, Iruka. I hear you, but only barely." He snorted, being extra careful when he pours in the boiling hot water that warmed his chilled fingers. He hummed softly, carrying both hot mugs out to his surrogate parents. He makes sure to keep extra direct eye contact with Kakashi, who he seems to dislike the more he sees him.

Because Kakashi is untrustworthy. Naruto made a note to look his name up on his computer after their visit.

"I'm just saying—" Iruka paused to inhale the calming scent before taking a sip. Naruto grabs his own cup and returns to the living room, taking a seat in the laz-e-boy on the opposite of them. "Have you even considered coming back home with us?"

"No." Naruto answered darkly, avoiding Iruka's saddening gaze. He stares at Kakashi who stares back at him blankly. "I'm fine here, on my own."

"Are you sure? Because I was talking to Kiba the other day and he was telling me about how you've become obsessed with..." his voice dipped down to a low whisper. Naruto rolled his eyes. "...vampires."

Kakashi snorts in amusement, taking a deep gulp of his scorching tea without missing a beat that makes Naruto flinch. It's like the man feels no pain. "Naruto is still young, let him be foolish and play around for a while, Iruka. There's no need to get so worked up." The grin on his face made Naruto want to punch it off as Kakashi rubbed soothing circles into the smaller man's back.

Iruka blushed, thinking over about his next words. "Promise you'll make more of an effort to keep in touch?"

Naruto nodded eagerly, anything to get this awkward meeting over with. Kakashi clapped his hands, a mocking smile playing on his lips. "It's settled then! Naruto, why don't you pour me another cup of that delicious tea?"

They exchanged evenly hostile glares before Naruto submitted to him and reached for the glass outstretched between Kakashi's fingers. He didn't get a chance to snatch it away like he planned though, once Iruka gasped and grabbed his hand. It only took a few seconds for Naruto's mind to catch up.

His hand was bleeding again.

"What a nasty wound," Iruka gasped, forcibly holding out Naruto's hand under examination. "Where did you get this?"

 _'Sasuke-teme gave it to me,'_ is the first thing Naruto wants to say, but he bites back the words, forcing a smile onto his face. "Oh you know, some roughhousing with Kiba the other day." Iruka's eyes shift back between his phony smile and the bleeding wound. There's hardly any sign of the white bandage left—it's all been drowned in blood.

Then Iruka stood up quickly, with a determined look on his face. "I'll get the first aid kit. You didn't wrap that properly, baka."

"Iruka—" Naruto's sentence cut short when the stern, warm fingers of Iruka are replaced with Kakashi's cold fingers that feel like ice.

Naruto glared hard at him, speaking slowly, deliberately. "Let my hand go." They both watch Iruka disappear down the hallway and into Naruto's bathroom before Kakashi speaks again.

His voice is mocking, both with a slight humor and an agitated tone. There wasn't any using lying to him. "I could smell it before I even got in the door, it's all over this place." he said softly, tearing off the bandage and exposing the bleeding puncture wounds to the cold air. Naruto hissed, trying to pry his hand away.

"This wound isn't a normal one, is it?" He holds Naruto's hand up between them shamelessly, forcing Naruto to look at it. "You've…been bitten by a vampire, haven't you, Naruto."

* * *

I'm sorry that I've been gone so long. Depression really knows how to knock the hell outta ya. I'll try to make it more frequent.


	8. The Trusted

Drawn-Out Decisions

Chapter Eight: The Trusted

Beta: strawberries and napkins

…

 _Neji sighed and took another long drag of his cigarette, tapping the ashes onto the ground as the pair sat outside a tall, regal building._

" _Appeasement, my ass."_

 _Over and over again Neji would growl, and then take another drag. Then he would calm down. It was a process Ino was slowly but surely getting tired of. She knew very well that her fiancé would want nothing more but to barge in through those doors, and give those world leaders a piece of his mind—or rather, his ideas._

 _She rolled her eyes and waited. Three, two, one…_

" _N_ _eh. Appeasement my—"_

" _Ass? Might I suggest you expand your vocabulary, dear. Why do you not just go inside and tell them what you think? You know that you could be the key to avoiding this second Total War." She rubbed her temples in frustration, forcing herself to be patient with him. "Stop leaving th_ _ese_ _incredible decisions to th_ _ose_ _foolish beings for once."_

 _He grunted. Took another drag. "It is against vampire laws to be involved in human political matters."_

" _Even if your home could be destroyed by this loose cannon uh, Hitler, I think it was?"_

 _Silence. Ino shrugged; it was what she expected, anyway. British people were nothing like Russians, they would rather let the bully take as much as he wants to avoid a conflict, instead of being smarter about the situation—make friends with the bully._

 _She tilted her head and laughed dryly at the thought. That was what she was doing currently…wasn't it? Making friends with the bully._

 _Neji raised an eyebrow. "I hope this is not the part where you inform me of your treachery against the rules, Ino."_

" _It is not."_

 _Another drag. "Then we will have to see how this plays out. I will do what I can for my country and…" Smoldering eyes locked onto hers. "You will do what you can for yours, right?"_

 _She gulped. "Right." Inwardly, she cringed. There wasn't a thing she could do for Russia, unless she was planning on taking Stalin's life herself._

" _While we are on the subject…" Her eyes flashed back to his, eyeing him carefully. He chuckled. "Relax, I have a present for you." He chucked the finished cigarette away from the two of them._

" _A present! Darling, oh you absolutely should have! What is it?" She cheered excitedly, holding out both manicured hands to him. He shook his head, reached inside his pocket, and pulled out a single flower._

 _Ino's mouth fell open to a_ _gape,_ _mesmerized_ _. "Stalinchid." With shaky hands, she accepted it._

" _Amazed I am even aware of the situation regarding Russia, are you?" She nodded d_ _reamily at his snark_ _, staring at the budding flowers with red tinted edges splayed against_ _bleach_ _white._

 _He cupped her cheek. "I figured…if Germany and Russia can make an alliance like that…then it makes enough sense for us to do the same."_

 _She stared down at the flowers for a moment and then glared at him hatefully, the message of his twisted_ _surprise_ _finally dawning on her._

" _Against Japan."_

" _Against the Uchihas." He corrected, tucking a loose strand of blonde hair behind her ear. She wanted to slap his hands away, but they refused to leave the beautiful flower._

 _Flashes of a smiling Sakura and stoic Sasuke entered her mind. "We cannot betray them. Sakura is my friend. And you and Sasuke have lots of history together. They will not—"_

" _Attack us?_ _And so what,_ _we allow them to get stronger? Would you rather prefer it if I sat back and refused to protect you, my family, my_ people _, simply because you have faith in a Haruno? Have you not been listening to a thing I have been protesting about? Appeasement is for the weak. Britain is not weak…" The hand moved back to her cheek, a careful thumb stroking her supple lips._

" _...Russia is not weak, and Japan is inevitably going to be our enemy. Be smart, Ino, the way I know you are."_

 _And Ino found it much too hard to ignore the pleadings of a husband with a sneaky smile and the_ _ethereal_ _beauty of a promise, and a flower._

* * *

"V-Vampires? Kakashi, I always knew you were weird, but this is pushing it just to piss me off." Naruto grasped his own shoulders, forcing his body to shake to keep up his phony laughter.

Kakashi didn't look amused. "You really want to play this game, Naruto?"

Naruto gulped and glared at the silver-haired man with defiant eyes until Iruka came back into the room, breaking the tension.

Both men avoiding eye contact as Iruka disinfected Naruto's wound with care, and then re-wrap it. Naruto made a personal note to get more of that salve from Gaara when he went back to work tonight.

"All set. Is there anything else I can do for you, Naruto?"

Naruto pointed to Kakashi angrily. "Yeah, you can dump this psycho of a boyfriend." Iruka sighed and gently whacked him over the head, scolding him for talking so rudely. But it didn't matter. That arrogant smile etched across the older man's face made Naruto want to jump-tackle him with punches and kicks.

The empty, anxious feeling in his stomach the way Kakashi refused to take his eyes off of him was driving him crazy.

And why did he get the dreading feeling that Kakashi knew more than he was letting on?

Who was he?

* * *

"Shika-chan."

An audible sigh. "...Yes?"

"How does my hair look today?"

Shikamaru drifted a lazy eye upward at her, peeved at being disturbed from his sleep. He flickered close the magazine in a foreign language he was struggling to translate. She wouldn't let him have anything he could read easily to keep his mind sharp, so he resigned himself to studying the images of the shapely blond haired, blue-eyed women with their equally attractive male companions. As a silent sign of rebellion.

He looked at the front cover, and then at the impatient Hinata. She didn't look anything like the pretty pictures of the women, the kind he did like, but he shrugged in agreement anyway. When he looked up at her, he furrowed his brow. She doesn't look anything like what her origins suggest, he realized.

Another question was burning on his tongue, but the last time he decided to question the origin of her vampire birth, she locked him in a room without any blood tablets for over seventy-two hours.

Annoyed with his staring, Hinata smiled softly and then stood up from her chair, leaning down softly to pat his head as if he were a pet. But that's what he was to her, right? A pet.

"Shika-chan, I need you to do me another favor." She kept the same smile on her face, the kind that made Shikamaru shiver. She leaned in closely, invading his personal space with her smell of sulfur and jasmine.

He grunted, and bit his tongue until she finished her request. "I need the help of another clan, you know who…right? But, I was thinking, who can I come to for help do you think?" She faked a deep sigh and pulled her hand away, placing it under her chin delicately in thought. Slowly, she sauntered around the room in a sultry circle.

"I could not possibly come to the Harunos, in alliance with the Uchihas… and my own dear cousin is repulsed by my presence. Yet he controls everything." She stopped walking and looked over her shoulder at him. "And of course your clan…is gone." Then she smiled.

Shikamaru bared his teeth at the boasting woman, angered by her bold statement of something so personal to him. She had no shame, and so again he resisted the urge to attack her.

"Suppose the assistance of the elder Uchiha could-"

"No way, Hinata. He'd never betray Sasuke."

She sighed again, flipping her hair over her shoulder and conceded. "I wonder then, who is left for me?"

It was an answer that Shikamaru didn't even need to think about, because he knew what she meant. Yamanaka Ino.

The answer was like a bulging snowball in this throat—even despite the consequences of refusal. He swallowed. "No, I will not do that."

"Shika-chan, I was not asking you. It was a command. Commands are useless if they are not obeyed, you know that." She confronted his hostile stare with a look of superiority. A divine look, that Shikamaru could see resembled like the girl in the picture.

She smiled deviously and continued. "And your job is to obey. That is what you are here for, is it not?"

Shikamaru challenged her. "If I do not?"

She pointed at the cushions he was propped up against. "Well, for one, you will not be allowed to sleep in the bed of your master anymore…"

A thinly veiled threat. He weighed the options. The loss of the bed over the loss of the love of his life was an easy trade-off, but his sadistic master wasn't through with him yet.

"And, it would be a shame if you left without getting what you came here for." She stared him fearlessly in the eye. "More power."

The word made his body shiver, and tingle in delight. That's what he wanted. _Power, power, power._ But was it going to be enough to sacrifice another? He would save that question for another day.

It was unfair. Life was unfair. And the way he would end up treating Ino would be, like always…unfair.

"No, it's troublesome."

"Thank you my dear," she giggled, moving back over to him to stroke his head happily as she traced soft kisses across his forehead. They stung like hot ashes on him, one who was only used to the kiss of the blond whose heart he was about to destroy.

It was all so troublesome.

* * *

It was the early hours of the morning by the time Itachi was done his sightseeing of Washington D.C, Philadelphia, and then onwards to New York City. Sasuke wasn't a huge fan of human creations the way Itachi was. Itachi worshipped the human intellect, while Sasuke despised it. In fact, both his fiancé and his brother share such a similar view on humans that it surprised him that the two of them still didn't get along any. The two brothers sat abreast on the train, the only sounds between them the rails.

Now thinking on it, Sasuke knows why they don't get along. Because Sakura wants her rightful place on the throne, and Itachi refuses to give it up. For various reasons. It doesn't have anything of concern of Sasuke, and it doesn't have anything to do with him. He was only meant to entertain his brother until he decided to depart again. In fact, after Itachi was done seducing human women he's never see again or buying things he'd never have a use for, he usually left rather quickly back for Japan.

Unfortunately, Itachi had already experienced both activities and still hadn't head home. Sasuke was trapped. Eventually, he did have to return home to his future wife, even if it was early in the morning the next day. She wasn't around however—just as well, because Sasuke had some other work that could finally get done in the silence. Sleep just wasn't necessary.

So on his own before he joined Itachi's company, he stopped by the streets of Naruto's neighborhood, secretly hoping but not expecting to run into the blond. He admits now, he has become more than interested in Naruto now, and blames his newfound attraction with humans on Itachi. Maybe it wasn't humans though, maybe it was just Naruto. Something about _him_ was interesting.

In actuality, he did run into Naruto. At his home. Yet since he couldn't just enter on his own, he peered through a window instead. But he had to turn away quickly.

Because for some reason, Naruto was in the unsettling company of a vampire hunter.

* * *

"Sakura."

"…"

"Sakura, I'm talking to you."

"…"

"Ignoring me will not solve your problem. You are not allowed to leave this place." Sasuke watched from his desk chair amused as Sakura raced back and forth, packing a bag full of things she wouldn't need. She wouldn't even spare him a glance as she went on, packing her items away.

He waited until the large, expensive suitcase was finally zipped shut on the bed when she turned around, hands on her hips.

She pursed her lips together tightly. He wasn't used to seeing her so un-amused. "This is my suitcase Sasuke, and I've packed it."

Sasuke waited patiently until she would elaborate. When she didn't, he stared back at her boredly. "I can see that, Sakura."

"Sasuke, I'm going to Greece with Ino." She can't remember the last time she's actually seen Sasuke's eyes bug out of his head. He actually looks human with the confusing and slight panic etched all over his face.

In the next moment his expression soured intensely. "I misheard you. I thought I said you are not to leave this place. Your response was?"

"Stop treating me like a child! I am not that little girl you picked up in the forest anymore! Greece is my home, and I _will_ return to it if you fail to meet the needs of your wife." She said shrilly, turning her back on Sasuke. Her mistake, for in less than a second Sasuke had managed to pin the smaller girl on her back and against the wall, teeth bared.

"This _arrangement_ does not end until I say it does. Now this childish miscommunication must stop, or I will not allow you to go at all.." He hesitated, pearly fangs gleaming as his eyesight moved to graze at her clammy, cold flesh. She swallowed thickly when he continued. "And...I do have an issue if you decide to leave based on jealous or selfish reasons."

They stared at each other in silence for a moment, neither daring to say anything, and Sasuke's gentle admission hanging sweetly in the air. He wanted to bite her. Instead, he shook his head. "Why are you leaving?"

"Vacation. You know, like the ones you and your dearest brother like to take so often now?" She shoved him aside gently, and snatched her suitcase off of the bed. "Alert me when you finally do something _I_ want and get my pet."

Sasuke actually gaped at her. "This is about Naruto?"

"This is about everything! Get your head out of those books for a change and maybe there wouldn't be so much _miscommunication_." She scowled as she walked out of the door.

Sighing, he didn't make an attempt to stop her. She was right after all.

It was time to take him.

* * *

I'm sorry this took forever, but the story took a whole new direction for me once I lost my job, my money, and my boyfriend lol. Things change right? So I'm rolling with the punches. But I am back on track! And also, to the people who want to get to the good part, don't worry. Once it comes it'll be worth it, and besides, the story is called "drawn out" for a reason *wink* feedback would be amazing! I love you guys.


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